Untapped
by Nemonite
Summary: What would happen if Naruto's true potential had been unleashed as a child, rather than hampered by biased teachers?     Smarter, more competent Naruto. Most likely NaruHina- still thinking on it.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Prologue

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Hey guys, Mash here. So, some of you who enjoyed my Warcraft story may not be pleased to see the posting of this story. Don't fret. I've had this story bubbling madly in my brain, and I couldn't focus on Changes at all. Once I get some writing done some writing on this story, I should be able to focus on Changes some more. <strong>

* * *

><p>"Uzumaki Naruto?" asked the orange-haired man standing in front of the Hokage's desk.<p>

The Sandaime exhaled a puff of smoke, a sigh mixed in with it, "Yes. He needs to be watched. My ANBU squads have fended off three separate attempts on his life, but times are tough. I need them on missions full-time."

The man sighed, "Fine, I accept. However, you know that my brother and sister-in-law aren't going to be pleased. They don't want their daughter being exposed to him."

Hiruzen chuckled, smoke escaping his old lips in short puffs, "Well, it's about time they learned that Naruto-kun is not some plague to be caught. He is the number one reason that they, and their daughter, are alive."

The red-head chuckled as well, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "I suppose that is true. When does my mission officially start?"

The Sandaime stood up, taking off his hat, "Haruno Kaiza, your full-time mission to watch over, and guide Uzumaki Naruto, begins now. Despite your rank of Chuunin, you are not to take any orders concerning this mission, unless they come directly from me."

Kaiza saluted, looking expectantly at his superior.

"Do your best, Kaiza-kun. Dismissed."

* * *

><p>A young boy, no older than five, sat on a small swing in the local park, watching the younger kids play around him. His bright blonde hair rustled slightly as a breeze passed by, revealing his equally bright blue eyes.<p>

He pushed at the ground with his foot, setting the swing into motion slightly, his eyes fixated on a young girl with pink hair. The boy grinned, his face lighting up brilliantly as he hopped off the swing and trotted quickly in the direction of the pinkette.

"Oy! Sakura-chan!" the boy yelled, calling out to his friend. The girl in question jumped, startled.

"N-Naruto?" she asked, looking behind her.

Naruto grinned at her, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "Sorry, Sakura-chan. Hey! I was wondering…would you like to play ninja?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

Sakura huffed, looking at the blonde, "Naruto no baka! You know that I don't like that game. Go play it with Sasuke."

Naruto slumped, dejected, "But Sakura-chan…you know how Sasuke is. He only likes playing with his brother. Besides, he's too good at-"

Naruto was interrupted by a sharp voice from behind him, "Sakura."

Sakura gulped, looking at the orange-haired man who was now standing behind Naruto. Naruto jumped and whipped around, landing flat on his ass, looking up at the imposing figure.

"It's time to go home." The man said; his voice sharp. His eyes never left Naruto.

"H-hai, tou-chan" Sakura mumbled, jumping up.

Naruto was frozen, staring into the hateful man's eyes, "W-why?" He managed to squeak out. "Why does everyone look at me like that!" he yelled, his voice rising in pitch.

The man's nostrils flared, his eyes widening; "Why? You dare ask why, you little de-"

"Aniki" said a voice from behind the orange-haired man, as a hand clapped him on the shoulder. A new figure appeared, walking around the first man, the two looked similar in regards to hair color. The only major difference was the obvious age gap between the two.

"K-Kaiza…" The first man managed to say, looking at his double.

Kaiza smiled and patted him on the shoulder again, "Go ahead and take Sakura-kun home, Kaigo." Kaigo glanced back at Naruto, hate filtering into his eyes again. Kaiza stepped in front of his older brother, blocking his line of sight. "I'm in charge of Naruto now. As his guardian, I am respectfully asking you to stop glaring at him."

Kaigo's mouth went slack, looking at his younger brother. "Y-you…why? After what he's done…" the man sputtered; his eyes full of betrayal.

"He's done nothing, Kaigo. Take Sakura-kun home." Kaiza stated, his eyes resolute.

Sakura stared at her father and uncle, not fully understanding what was occurring. "T-tou-chan…" she said, tugging on her father's jacket.

Kaigo looked down at her and smiled, ignoring his brother. He gently took Sakura's hand in his, "Come on, Sakura. Let's head home; I bet your kaa-chan has dinner ready." Sakura's eyes lit up at these words, and she wrapped her arms around her father.

Kaigo led her away from the park, sending one last look at his brother before fully disappearing from sight.

Kaiza rubbed the back of his head. "Geez, Aniki. Why do you always have to make things difficult?" Turning around, his eyes fell on the spot where Naruto was…or at least, where he should have been.

"Naruto?" the man called out, looking around him. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly felt his back pocket, and came to the conclusion… that his wallet was missing. He had just gotten pick-pocketed by a five year old.

* * *

><p>"Itadakimasu!" the blonde prankster yelled as he happily dug into a steaming bowl of ramen, the wallet in question sitting on the table next to it.<p>

An elderly old man leaned on the counter, watching the young miscreant. "Naruto…why do I get the uncanny feeling that, that isn't your wallet?"

Naruto giggled and continued slurping down ramen, "I just jacked it off some guy when I was playing with Sakura-chan! I think he might have been a ninja, but I don't know."

Teuchi raised an eyebrow at the blonde, "You stole a wallet off of a ninja? That's a serious offense, you know."

Naruto just laughed more, setting down the empty bowl, "Old man, a decent ninja would never let his wallet get stolen, right?"

The elder man laughed, "Ah, I suppose that is true. Would you like another bowl, Naruto?"

Naruto smiled, but glanced outside the ramen stand, noting how dark it was getting. "Maybe next time, old man. I'll just pay for the meal and head out," Naruto said, grabbing at the wallet, "it's getting late any-" Naruto paused, his mouth gaping as he clutched at the wallet-sized rock that was occupying the spot where the wallet had just been. "Wha… how… where… " the boy sputtered, scrambling around the stand, searching for the wallet.

Teuchi looked down at the blonde, "Naruto… I believe we discussed what I do with non-paying customers, right?"

Naruto gulped as the ramen stand owner's shadow washed over him.

(Two hours later)

Naruto groaned as he pulled off the rubber gloves, the last of the dishes finally washed. Teuchi grinned at him, "You did a fine job, Naruto. Let's both hope that you can pay next time, okay?"

The blonde just groaned and trudged around the barstools, before ducking under the entrance-flaps. A chuckle echoed above him as he turned towards his apartment, "Karma is a wicked witch, isn't it?" Glancing up, Naruto caught sight of a figure sitting on top of the ramen stand, his feet dangling off the side. The figure smiled and held up a small object in his hand.

Naruto's eyes widened as he identified the item as the wallet he had stolen. "What the hell! That's my wallet!" Naruto yelled, infuriated.

The mysterious figure cocked his head. "Your wallet, you say? Quite to the contrary, this is MY wallet. You stole it from me earlier."

Naruto squinted, his eyes identifying the distinctly orange hair of the man who had defended him earlier. "Yeah? Well so what if it is! I took it from you. That makes it mine!" Naruto stated, stomping his foot in irritation.

The man chuckled, "Well, ignoring the fact that you use very poor logic… then the fact that I've taken it back makes it mine again, correct?"

Naruto sputtered, his brows furrowing as he glared at the orange haired man. "N-… Well no! You're a ninja! You're cheating by using ninja skills to take the wallet back!" Naruto declared, grinning smugly and folding his arms over his chest.

The man chuckled again, hopping down to the ground. "There's no such thing as cheating in the ninja world, Naruto-kun." He ruffled the boy's hair, causing Naruto to flinch and reel backwards, almost falling over.

Naruto quickly recovered, fixing his hair and shooting the man a hot glare. "Well fine! Keep your stupid wallet! I'll just steal another one off someone else!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Naruto-kun." The mysterious man said, blocking the youngster's path.

The blonde squinted, "You can't stop me! I have to become a ninja! The only way I can do that is to practice being stealthy!" Naruto grinned and hopped backwards, striking a pose. "Nobody's going to stop me! I'm going to become Hokage, dattebayo!"

Kaiza quirked an eyebrow, that eyebrow rising slightly as he felt a small amount of chakra being formed within the developing chakra coils of the five year old. Where had he learned to form chakra?

"Now you'll bow to my ninja skills! Henge!" Naruto declared, grinning as he pulled off his trick, crushing the smoke pellet in his hand.

A cloud of smoke enveloped the blonde, and Kaiza glared through the screen intently, anxious to see the work of possibly one of the earliest-performed jutsu he had ever seen.

The cloud of smoke slowly dissipated; a bit slower than was normal, Kaiza noted. His eyebrow twitched madly as an empty patch of ground awaited him. Kaiza wasn't a Chuunin for nothing, however. The slight tug on his back pocket caused him to whip around, his hand clamping down on the wrist of the mischievous blonde kid. Kaiza smirked as he noticed his wallet clutched firmly in Naruto's hand again.

"Hey! What gives! Let my hand go, you cheater!" Naruto yelled, trying to pry his wrist free.

"Cheater? I'm defending my property, you little brat." Kaiza said, grinning. Although Naruto was still unable to use jutsu properly, his ability to deceive someone of Kaiza's skill level(Even if he'd had his guard down) was very impressive. "I must admit that I'm impressed, Naruto-kun. Had I been a Genin, you would have pulled the wool over my eyes."

Naruto growled and tugged on his arm harder, his face becoming desperate. "Let me go! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

Kaiza blinked, confused by Naruto's desperate pleas. "Naruto-kun, I'm not going to hurt you. I just-" Kaiza paused, a gleam of something metallic in Naruto's free hand glinting in the moonlight.

Before he could identify the item, Naruto's hand whipped out, the metal object in his hand being carefully guided towards Kaiza's hand that was currently holding Naruto's arm. Kaiza's eyes widened as he noticed the shape and style of a standard Konoha kunai in the young blonde's grasp.

Kaiza glared and released Naruto's arm, his own hand retracting quickly to maneuver around the knife. "Okay Naruto-kun. That's far enough. Hand over the kunai." Kaiza urged, holding out his hand. "Please."

Naruto grinned at him, spinning the knife around his finger. "You want it? Here!" He shouted, whipping his arm back and launching the metal object towards the Chuunin. Naruto smiled and dug into his pocket, grabbing another smoke pellet. "Smell ya later, jerk!"

Kaiza swiftly snatched the kunai out of the air, blinking slightly as he realized that it weighed only a fraction of what it should. A loud 'poof' sounded again as the smoke expanded outward rapidly. Kaiza was hardly surprised to see that Naruto was gone when the smoke disappeared.

Fingering the kunai, Kaiza face palmed as he realized that it was a dummy knife. The inside was hollow, allowing for the tip of the blade to fold into itself when it was pressed up against something solid. This was something found at a joke shop.

"You let him get you with the whole fake-kunai routine?" a feminine voice from the roof next to him inquired.

He jerked around, nearly snapping his neck as he faced the new voice. He breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted the white mask that was customary for all ANBU to wear. This particular mask reminded him vaguely of a cat.

"I was under the impression I was to watch a five year old child, ANBU-san" Kaiza said, quirking an eyebrow, "Not someone border-line academy level, if not higher; I wasn't properly briefed for this mission." Kaiza said, shrugging.

If the ANBU's expression changed, he couldn't tell. "Not every mission goes to plan, Haruno-san. That's a lesson you should have learned by now." The ANBU's head tilted slightly, "Now, your kid lives about five blocks from here. The apartment he lives in looks like it's about to tip over. If you go now, you can beat him there." The ANBU stated, standing up from her crouching position.

Kaiza sighed as the ANBU disappeared, the ninja seamlessly melting into the nearby shadows. At least he had some occasional help with the boy. Although he was sure that he wouldn't be able to rely on constant ANBU surveillance.

Kaiza glanced down the road that Naruto had disappeared along, seeing an apartment complex in the distance. Kaiza's eyes narrowed; this was the bad part of the village.

* * *

><p>Naruto sprinted full-throttle down the street, nimbly diving between the legs of the villagers around him. Had he not been in such a desperate situation, he would never have taken to the streets; they were a more direct path than the alleyways, however.<p>

Naruto hated this part of the village, particularly at night. This was Konoha's red-light district, an area infamous for its bars, brothels, and cheap living quarters.

The blonde yelped and ducked, narrowly avoiding a bottle that had come hurtling from one of the local bars. Naruto burst back into a sprint, twisting around the foot of a drunk civilian who had aimed a kick at him. "Jackass!" Naruto called back, laughing to himself. "Work on your aim you fat, dru- Oof!"

Naruto's sentence was interrupted as he ran head first… into the ass of a scantily clad girl. "Hey! Why don't you move your fat ass!" Naruto yelled, looking up at the obstacle.

His throat ran dry as he locked eyes with the most notorious kunoichi of the red-light district.

Sixteen year old Mitarashi Anko smirked to herself as her eyes locked with the bright-blue eyes of Uzumaki Naruto. "My, my, Uzumaki-chan. Such a mouth on you…" Anko purred as she hoisted him up by his collar, fingering a kunai in front of his face. "Now… how many cuts am I going to have to give you for calling me fat?"

"A-ah…" Naruto sputtered, his face as white as a ghost.

"Poor Uzumaki-chan… I promise I won't make the cuts too deep…" Anko continued, lightly tracing Naruto's whisker marks with the tip of the kunai, drawing a thin line of blood.

Naruto squeaked, leaned over and began feverishly gnawing at his upper arm like a trapped animal.

Anko quirked an eyebrow, "Uzumaki, you realize that only works when your _arm_ is trapped, correct?"

But Naruto didn't seem to register her words, only seeming to work harder, making Anko fidget. "S-Stop that, brat. You're going to end up hurting yourself…" Anko said, her face paling slightly.

As Naruto began whimpering in pain around the arm he was chewing on, Anko whipped her hand out, gripping his jaw and pulling his face away from his arm, making their noses touch.

Anko blinked as she spotted the small grey pellet in between Naruto's teeth. Before she could react, Naruto crushed the pellet, causing a violent smokescreen to rapidly expand outwards, causing her to cough violently and release the kid, rubbing at her tear-streaked eyes. "Th- that little b-brat…" Anko swore violently and coughed more, waving the smoke away from her face and leaping out of the smoke cloud.

Anko growled as she whipped around, scanning for the annoying blonde brat. The troublesome kid had vanished.

No matter, she preferred a chase.

* * *

><p>Naruto was gasping painfully as he slammed his door behind him, ignoring the groan of protest the slab of wood gave him as he quickly slid the bolt lock into place.<p>

The blonde coughed hoarsely as he slid down, resting his exhausted body against the door. Pissing off two mid-to-high rank ninja in one day… he must be losing his mind.

He giggled to himself, remembering the day's antics. "Oh well. They were both idiots." Naruto mumbled, glancing over to his room where his warm bed awaited him.

Naruto groaned and stood up, stretching slightly and hobbling over to his room. He didn't even bother turning the lights on to throw his clothes off as he tumbled onto his bed. He shifted slightly, realizing that there was a lump on his bed that was most certainly not his mattress, and something soft his head was resting against that was most definitely not his pillow.

"Why hello, Uzumaki-chan." Purred an all-too familiar voice.

Naruto screamed, and he screamed loudly.

The young boy bolted backwards, flying off the bed and soaring towards the opposite wall. His back slammed against the wall painfully, his fingers clawing for the door handle. His eyes flicked back and forth frantically, trying to see through the darkness.

He heard the lock on his door slide into place, freezing his heart.

"Poor little Uzumaki… trapped like the little rat he is…" Anko taunted, her voice seeming to come from all directions. He heard a distinct slithering sound, and a slight hiss. "My little friend here just loves to play with rats…"

Naruto whimpered, his hands clawing at the door painfully. He shrieked as a forked tongue flicked his cheek.

"Are you afraid of the dark, Uzumaki?" Anko said, trailing a finger over Naruto's cheek. "Poor thing… so helpless… so trapped in the darkness…"

Naruto heard the bone-rattling sound of a kunai sliding out of its holster.

"No matter, Uzumaki-chan… I'll end your suffering…" the woman purred, her voice sinister.

Naruto whimpered as he heard the kunai slice through the air, creating a gentle whistling sound. "Please… no…"

The sound of metal clashing against metal, and a sudden flash of light caused Naruto's eyes to widen, taking in the scene in front of him.

Anko had an annoyed look in her eye as she leaned over the frightened blonde boy, the kunai in her hand being held at bay by an identical knife, held by none other than the orange-haired man from before.

A large, purple serpent was wrapped around Kaiza's arm, its fangs poised dangerously by his neck. Naruto could see a trail of sweat traveling down his cheek.

Despite that fact, he spoke with unhindered authority, "Mitarashi-san, Uzumaki Naruto is under my protection. By harming him, you will cause me to fail the mission given to me by the Sandaime himself."

Anko just quirked an eyebrow before snapping her fingers, causing the serpent to explode in a cloud of smoke, which quickly dissipated. "You didn't really think I was going to hurt the kid, did you?" Anko asked, smirking.

Kaiza glanced down and pointed at the quickly-healing scab on Naruto's cheek, causing Anko to giggle sheepishly. "Okay, well I wouldn't have hurt him permanently!" she said, defending herself.

Kaiza just looked at her with a blank expression, "Irrelevant. My orders are to not let harm come to him."

The woman just rolled her eyes, glancing at the quaking child. "My apologies, Uzumaki-chan. I just wanted to have a little fun. You know the feeling…" Anko purred.

Naruto sputtered, "I- I forgive y-you! Please j-just get out of m-my apartment…"

Kaiza smirked, watching the scowl form across Mitarashi's face. "Yeah whatever, brat. Most guys would have been overjoyed to have me in their bed. Not little Uzumaki." She said, pouting as she walked out the door to his room. "Nooooo… Uzumaki-chan is too good for Anko. He'd rather have some high-class bitch like Yuuhi…" her voice trailed off as she left their range of hearing.

Naruto's legs gave out on his as he collapsed, his hand gripping the spot over his heart frantically.

Kaiza chuckled as he watched the young blonde have a nervous breakdown. "Messing with Mitarashi Anko is not a healthy habit to practice, Naruto-kun."

Naruto had calmed down a bit, his eyes still flicking around the room in a paranoid manner. Kaiza briefly wondered if the boy was traumatized. "D-did Jiji really s-send you?" the boy asked, stuttering slightly.

"Hai, Naruto-kun. Sandaime-sama wanted to make sure that you were protected at all times." Kaiza said, smiling at the young boy.

Naruto looked confused, squinting at the older man, "Why… after all the stuff I said and did…" Naruto asked again, his eyes lowering in shame.

Kaiza glanced around, looking at the torn-down apartment. His eyes flicked over various hate messages that were scribbled over his walls. Clearly people had tormented this boy for some time. "Naruto-kun, I understand why you did the things you did. I'm not going to hold it against you." Kaiza stated, smiling in assurance.

Naruto still looked doubtful, but he looked like he was about to collapse at any minute. "W-will you stay here? In case she comes back?" The boy clearly didn't trust Kaiza, but Anko was the bigger threat in his mind.

The Haruno smiled and nodded again, opening the door to Naruto's room. "Sleep well, Naruto-kun. If you need anything, I'll be on the other side of this door." The man closed the flimsy door behind him, leaving Naruto to his brief thoughts before he collapsed on his bed and promptly passed out.

Kaiza smiled as he heard the young boy hit the bed. Standing up to Mitarashi Anko was something that only madmen attempted. However, he felt that it would be worth it for this kid. Despite the kid's goofy and childish exterior, Naruto showed extraordinary potential.

Kaiza would do all he could to extract that potential.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you liked the introduction to this story. I fully intend it to be a very emotionally-destructive story. Naruto won't be making any life-changing decisions because he stubbed his toe. He's going to have his entire world tossed upside down.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Building bonds**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: I noticed that one person had some reservations about Naruto being with Hinata. If you guys have a problem with it, then express it in a review, and suggest what girl you would rather see him with. <strong>

**Also, my time to write on this story may be limited in upcoming weeks. Do not expect consistent updates. Read at your own risk.**

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes fluttered open as the bright sunlight pierced his windows, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut again.<p>

The boy groaned as he rubbed his neck and sat up. Shuffling over to the bathroom next to his room, he quickly showered and brushes his teeth, sleepily looking at himself in the mirror.

His eyes flicked over to his cheek, where he could just make out the very light remainder of what had been a cut. He frowned as he studied the line on his cheek. He tended to remember where he had gotten most of his injuries. This one seemed fairly new, so he probably got it last… night…

Naruto's eyes widened frantically as he remembered the night's activities.

The blonde boy quickly threw on some clothes, his ears straining for the slightest noise from the front room. Had the man left him?

Naruto cursed to himself. He hadn't come this far in life by trusting people. That man could have been another assassin for crying out loud! Sure, he had protected him from the crazy bitch, but Naruto had had enough experiences with Anko to know that she wasn't interested in killing him. Scaring him witless? Making him absolutely paranoid? Sure, but she would never kill him.

At least… he didn't think so. It's possible that she just wanted to lull him into a false sense of security, but it would have made more sense to just kill him from the beginning.

What if she was just waiting for a specific time? She could use the current time to lull him into a sense of safety, and then kill him when the proper time came about. Naruto had no idea what the reason for killing him at a certain time might be, but that woman was strange.

"Got a lot on your mind, Naruto-kun?" a voice from behind him said.

Naruto shrieked and leapt into the air, swiveling in the air and falling straight on his ass as he locked eyes with Haruno Kaiza, his guardian. How had he gotten into his room so quietly?

Kaiza grinned as the boy looked at him in surprise. "I'm a ninja, Naruto-kun. If I can't sneak into the room of a five year old without being detected, then I wouldn't be a very good ninja."

Naruto just huffed and crossed his arms, pulling himself to his feet.

Kaiza looked somewhat disappointed, "You still don't trust me, do you Naruto-kun?"

The boy snorted, "How can I trust you? We've just met."

Haruno admitted that the boy had a point, so he just sighed. "Well, whether or not you trust me, I still have to protect you."

"Because Jiji said so…" Naruto added, his mind going back to work over Kaiza's possible motivations.

"That's right. Sandaime-sama really cares for you, Naruto-kun. He wanted to make sure that you came to no harm." Kaiza affirmed, nodding.

Naruto looked out his window, which gave him a clear view of the Hokage tower. "Why won't he let me enroll in the academy, then? I could protect myself if I was a ninja…"

Kaiza nodded, wondering why as well. Naruto had serious potential, and could easily excel as the best in the class with the right guidance. "I suspect it's because of your age, Naruto-kun. You would be at least two years younger than the other students in your class. They would have a physical advantage against you."

Naruto spun around, pointing a finger out the window, "What about the prodigies? I know for a fact that Uchiha Itachi enrolled at my age, and his brother probably will as well!"

Kaiza quirked an eyebrow, "You know about Uchiha Itachi, Naruto-kun?"

"Who doesn't know about Itachi? Sasuke talks about him so much that it would be hard to not know about him…" Naruto mumbled. "He was one of the youngest academy graduates in Konoha history, and he just got enrolled in the ANBU two years ago!" Naruto yelled. "He's the same age as a Genin, and he's an ANBU!"

Kaiza sighed at the boy's outburst. He was genuinely surprised that Naruto knew this much. "Naruto-kun… Itachi is an Uchiha. As an Uchiha, he has special privileges that his name allows him."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding. "Why? What's so great about the Uchiha?"

Kaiza raised an eyebrow as well. It seemed that Naruto didn't know as much as he thought. "The Uchiha have a bloodline limit. Do you know what that is, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked, and squinted as if trying to remember something. "It's… a technique passed down within a family?" Naruto guessed. He wasn't far off base.

"Close. A bloodline limit is a genetic feature that runs within various shinobi clans. It is generally an ability that has a genetic significance that cannot be duplicated by someone outside of the clan." Kaiza said, noting Naruto's interested expression. "The Uchiha has a doujutsu known as the Sharingan. It's an eye technique that allows them to see chakra, and copy jutsu by just seeing them." Kaiza explained, giving Naruto a brief summary.

Naruto nodded, "So… they get special privileges because… they're important to the village?"

Kaiza blinked. He didn't realize that Naruto had such an understanding of politics. "Yes. That's right."

Naruto grinned and looked back out the window, "All the more reason for me to get into the academy early. I'm going to become important, too. I'm going to be the Godaime!" Naruto cheered, smiling brightly.

The youngster's smile was infectious, and Kaiza was soon grinning as well. "The Godaime, huh? You sure expect the Sandaime to last quite a long time, Naruto-kun." Kaiza stated, smiling.

"He will. Jiji is the strongest ninja in the village. Nobody can beat him!" Naruto grinned widely, looking proudly at the Hokage tower.

Kaiza was intrigued by Naruto's devotion to the Sandaime. The old man must have had quite the impact on the youngster. "Why do you want to become Hokage, Naruto-kun?" Kaiza asked tentatively.

Naruto blinked, glancing back at Kaiza, "Why?" Naruto grinned, "I'm going to get the respect of the villagers. All of the villagers respect the Hokage."

Kaiza was more than mildly surprised. This was far more mature of a response than he anticipated. He had expected some tirade about being the most powerful, or having a thousand jutsu. "And why do you want their respect?"

Naruto became slightly sullen, "They always look at me with such… horrible eyes. I know they don't look at everyone like that… only me." He turned towards Kaiza, "I don't know what I did to make them hate me so much, but I don't want them to continue hating me."

Naruto frowned, glancing up at the older man, "You don't look at me like that. Neither does Jiji, or even Anko-san. In fact, most ninja I know don't treat me like that… why is that?"

Haruno Kaiza clapped his hand on Naruto's shoulder gently, his eyes reassuring Naruto, "They don't understand you, Naruto-kun. That's all I'm allowed to tell you."

The blonde relaxed slightly, sighing. "I want them to understand me. I don't want their hate."

"Someday they will, Naruto-kun." Kaiza's eyes flicked to a shape in the sky. It was a small bird, probably a messenger.

Kaiza was proven correct, and Naruto was startled as the small white bird fluttered against the window, tapping it with its beak. "A b-bird?" Naruto squeaked from his new hiding spot behind Kaiza.

The man in question smiled and opened the window, allowing the bird to hop inside. It stood their expectantly with a small note tied to its leg. Kaiza gently untied the note, prompting the bird to fly back out the window, heading towards the Hokage tower.

Kaiza's eyes skimmed the note, before crumpling it. "It would appear that the Hokage would like to see how we've bonded, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes lit up at the news, "Jiji wants to see me? When can we go?" the boy was practically bouncing off the walls, causing Kaiza to chuckle.

"We can leave just as soon as you've had something to eat, Naruto-kun. We don't want to interrupt Hokage-sama with your stomach." Kaiza assured him, patting his shoulder.

"Let's eat on the way there! I know an awesome ramen stand- Well, it's the one that I was eating at last night!" Naruto babbled, the words spilling out excitedly. He began hurriedly tugging on the older man's sleeve.

Kaiza laughed and let himself get pulled along by the kid, "Okay, okay. Just make sure that you eat plenty before we get there."

* * *

><p>Naruto grinned excitedly as he sprinted down the alleyways, Kaiza right on his heels. The older man was extremely impressed at the blonde's ability to traverse the village unseen. Naruto had even built a makeshift bridge that traversed a busy marketplace.<p>

The young boy pulled Kaiza through a hole in a fence, which was covered by a large cloth. Turning around, Kaiza chuckled as he saw that the cloth matched perfectly with the rest of the fence; a perfect illusion.

He noticed that they were now very close to the streets, though these streets were significantly less crowded. They were on the street for a mere five seconds before the boy did a U-turn and pulled them behind the flaps of the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

"Old man! Order for two!" Naruto said, grinning.

The old man in question chuckled as he walked around the corner, a towel in his hands. "Aah, Naruto-kun. Did you get some money this time?"

"I'll be paying." Kaiza stated, announcing his presence.

The elderly man's eyebrows rose, "Oh? Are you Naruto-kun's friend?"

"I've been ordered by Hokage-sama to watch over Naruto-kun." Kaiza stated, putting on a genuine smile.

"I see… Well, if I ever hear about Naruto getting hurt, I'll know whose butt I have to kick" Teuchi stated, an innocent smile on his face as he dangerously waved a wooden spoon around. It slightly unnerved Kaiza.

Naruto laughed, interrupting the two, "Jiji! I'll have a large miso!" the blonde stated, grinning from ear to ear.

Kaiza smiled and nodded at Teuchi discretely, before ordering a medium beef ramen.

The blonde boy next to Kaiza took very little time to siphon down his bowl, before slamming it back down on the table and looking at Kaiza expectantly.

"Don't you want another bowl, Naruto-kun?" Teuchi asked, surprised at the boy's lack of an appetite.

"Not today, Jiji! I have an important meeting!" The young man stated, pride filling his voice. Teuchi just raised an eyebrow before glancing at Kaiza.

"Hokage-sama requested our presence." The man said, shrugging. He quickly finished his bowl, so as to not make Naruto wait any longer. "Thank you for the meal." He said simply, before handing Teuchi money for the ramen.

The elderly man nodded and took the money, "Thank you for visiting. Come by again, Naruto-kun."

But the blonde was already out of earshot, dragging the orange-haired Chuunin down the road by his wrist. A smile came to Teuchi's face; Naruto rarely took to people.

* * *

><p>The secretary at the lobby of the Hokage tower glared continuously at the blonde as he dragged in a young man.<p>

The young man in question shot her a sharp look, before very noticeably adjusting his flak jacket, indicating his status as a Chuunin. "We were summoned by Hokage-sama" the man said, keeping his face perfectly even.

"He's currently in a meeting. He should be free momentarily." She said, her tone frosty as she glared daggers at the demon. Despite her hatred for the brat, she was in no way inclined to get in the way of a ninja.

As if on cue, a hoarse voice echoed down the spiral staircase leading up the tower, "It's alright. We've just finished."

Naruto's neck snapped over to the staircase, where an old man was hobbling down the steps. It was not the old man that Naruto had wanted to see, however.

He had bandages wrapped around his forehead, and had a few that covered his right eye, giving him a mysterious appearance. He also had an x-shaped scar on his chin. This man had seen his fair share of battle.

Kaiza bristled as Shimura Danzo hobbled down the stairs. He couldn't see or sense them, but he knew that Danzo had at least two guards with him. He always did.

"The floor is yours, Haruno-kun." Danzo said as he walked by, leaning heavily on the cane in his hand. Kaiza suspected that it was all an act, but he couldn't be sure. He also didn't miss the acute glance the elderly man had thrown at Naruto. It wasn't hateful or cold… just intrigued; as if he was planning and plotting. Kaiza did not like that look at all.

He quickly put his arm around Naruto's shoulder, leading the eager boy up the stairs. "Watch over him well, Haruno-kun." Danzo's voice floated up the stairs behind him, barely loud enough for him to hear. Kaiza shivered, unsure if that had been a threat, or genuine advice.

The door to the Hokage's office creaked open as Naruto hopped in, yelling for joy as he saw the elderly leader sitting behind the desk. The Hokage smiled around his pipe, a puff of smoke escaping his lips. "Good morning, Naruto-kun."

"Jiji!" Naruto cried, running forward. Kaiza watched amusedly as several shadows throughout the room shifted and tensed, poised to stop a possible assassination.

Hiruzen gave a subtle gesture to which the hidden ANBU relaxed, and scooped the young boy up, giving him a hug. "It's good to see you, Naruto-kun. I take it then that you and your new guardian have bonded well enough?" Sarutobi said, smiling widely.

Naruto nodded happily, glancing back at Kaiza, "Yeah! Mr… um…" Naruto blinked, squinting and straining his brain.

"I don't know your name." Naruto declared, pointing a finger at Kaiza.

Hiruzen chuckled, "Well, it seems I overestimated your relationship."

Kaiza smiled and stepped forward, "We ran into… some issues last night. I never got an opportunity to introduce myself properly. Naruto-kun here was too busy making me chase him around the village." Kaiza could have sworn he heard a muffled snicker from the corner behind him.

The Third chuckled again, smoke puffing from between his lips, "Naruto-kun does indeed have a mischievous side to him." Kaiza did not miss the subtle gesture that the elder directed towards him; he wanted to know about what happened, later.

The orange-haired man took another step forward, "Well Naruto-kun, since it has been brought up, I will introduce myself. I am Haruno Kaiza. Nice to meet you." He said, taking a small, comical bow.

Naruto blinked, "Haruno? Like Sakura-chan?"

Kaiza nodded, "Yes. Sakura-kun is my niece."

Naruto nodded sagely, "So you're like the creepy uncle, right?"

The snort from the corner of the room was loud enough to attract even Naruto's attention, though it didn't stay there long. Kaiza nearly face-planted on the floor, his eye twitching madly, "I-… I would hope to think that I didn't come off as creepy, Naruto-kun."

"You do." Naruto affirmed, smiling widely. "You should bring Sakura-chan over some time! I don't get to see her very often!" Naruto said, smiling brightly.

Kaiza didn't let it show on his face, but he knew that his brother would never let him take Sakura to Naruto's house. "I'll try, Naruto-kun." It wasn't a lie.

"Naruto" the Hokage started, smiling at the blonde, "Why don't you go down the hall to Konohamaru's room? Let the nanny know that I sent you. Maybe you can help her, hmm?"

Naruto grinned and hopped out of the older man's arms, quickly speeding out of the room.

"Kids." Hiruzen said, smiling after the child.

"Hokage-sama… the nanny, is she…?" Kaiza started.

"She would never hurt a child. I know this for a fact." The Hokage stated firmly, answering the question. "Now, Kaiza-kun… what happened last night?"

Kaiza sighed, but quickly gave a run-down to the aged leader of the night's activities. Kaiza was an exceptionally observant shinobi, and never missed the Hokage's eyes occasionally shifting a millimeter to the right, just barely looking past him at times. The Hokage already knew what happened, but was confirming it through the ANBU that was undoubtedly signaling him from behind. He was testing Kaiza's trustworthiness.

Kaiza had nothing to hide, however. He told the story exactly as it happened, not leaving out a single detail.

Hiruzen laughed loudly as the story concluded, startling the Chuunin. "Naruto-kun is full of surprises, isn't he?"

"Indeed he is. I never thought I'd see the day that a pre-academy student fooled me." The man said.

The Sandaime sighed slightly, "Then there's the issue with Anko. She's been a handful ever since we found her… abandoned…"

Kaiza nodded. He knew a brief history of Mitarashi Anko's time spent as Orochimaru's student. He could clearly see the twisted man's personality shining through the cracks of Anko's shattered mind. "She did not… seriously injure the boy" Kaiza said, choosing his words carefully, "She did however potentially traumatize him. I don't know what the experience will do to the boy, but it will definitely give him nightmares."

Hiruzen nodded, letting a cloud of smoke pass through his lips, "I will have him sit down with Inoichi. He'll find out if there's anything permanently damaged. If need be, we can always bury the memories." Hiruzen smiled grimly, "However, it might be the best for Naruto-kun to live with the memories. They are a valuable learning experience."

Kaiza nodded. He couldn't disagree with the Hokage's logic.

"There was… one more thing, Hokage-sama." Kaiza started, unsure where to start.

"You want to personally train Naruto-kun since I will not permit him to enter the academy." The Hokage said. It was not a question.

Kaiza blinked and sputtered, wondering if the Hokage was a mind-reader. "Y-yes… but also, I wanted to know why you didn't want him in the academy."

Hiruzen sighed and glanced out the window, his gaze attracted to the Uchiha sector. "Uchiha Itachi entered the academy at six years old, graduated by seven, was Chuunin by 10, and ANBU by 13." He let out another cloud of smoke, "Naruto is even younger than Itachi. His body is not ready for even the lax academy work."

Kaiza frowned, "It's more than that though, isn't it?"

The Hokage nodded, "Uchiha Itachi is unstable. He started this line of work much too early, and I can already see the psychological havoc that's being unleashed. You can see it in the way he walks, the way he talks. He's nothing more than a robot."

It was not normally Hiruzen's nature to outright lie to his shinobi. Uchiha Itachi was very much stable, if a little strange. The psychological havoc consisted only of nightmares, and the guilt of having taken so many lives. Hiruzen needed people to believe that Itachi was cracking, though. It pained him to do it… but he had to.

Hiruzen still did not like the idea of Naruto entering the academy so early. He could possibly enroll him at seven years of age, but certainly no earlier than that.

Kaiza ate up the lie, nodding in a convinced manner.

"You may train Uzumaki Naruto as part of your mission" Sarutobi stated, "Teach him the basics of being a ninja, and how to mold his chakra. I do not want him learning any jutsu before he enters the academy, Kaiza." Hiruzen warned, locking eyes with the Haruno.

Kaiza nodded. He hadn't even expected the Hokage to agree with the training. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

* * *

><p>Shimura Danzo smiled to himself as he skulked down the tunnels that led to the old ROOT headquarters. He was flanked on either side by two ROOT agents, as well as a young boy. "Is it wise to allow the weapon to be trained by the Haruno, Danzo-sama?" the boy asked.<p>

Danzo glanced at the boy, clearly his indoctrination hadn't been completely effective yet. "Sai, do you think that you could do my job better than I?"

It didn't sound like a threat, but Sai visibly flinched, shaking slightly, "N-no, Danzo-sama. I apologize for speaking out of place."

Danzo smiled eerily. Everything would go according to plan. He had spent years trying to get the boy transferred into his care, but the old fool of a Hokage had rejected his request time after time. He didn't realize how crucial the Jinchuuriki would be in the future.

"Sai, I want you to run ahead and bring me a messenger. I need to get my meeting with Uchiha Fugaku arranged." Danzo stated, to which the boy immediately complied.

Danzo had realized long ago how much potential young Naruto had, even disregarding the demon inside of him. That boy was a weapon going unused. All of the other Great Nations were utilizing their collective Jinchuuriki to some degree, but not Konoha. But no longer would Danzo stand for it. If Sarutobi would not have the boy trained properly, then he knew a place that most definitely would.

Danzo's one visible eye crinkled upwards into a smile. Yes, everything would go exactly to plan.

* * *

><p><strong>Well folks, there you have it; chapter two. I'm sorry for it being as short as it is, but I need things to happen in a certain amount of chapters right now. Later on in the story, when things aren't quite as planned-out, they will come out more naturally.<strong>

**My main motivation behind this story was to fully explore Naruto's true potential. I really don't like stories where Naruto has a gimmick of some sort (Bloodline, random super powers, etc.) so I wanted to write a story based around Naruto's success without being hindered by the villagers and Academy teachers of Konoha.**

**Now, undoubtedly people will say things like, "Well, what about Naruto being so smart, then? " Yeah. Naruto's probably a bit more self-aware than a five year old should be… but give me a break. As for how smart he will be in time… I get tired of people claiming that Naruto is genetically stupid. Look at Minato and Kushina. Do either of them seem stupid to you? He got his genes from them, and he will be just as smart as either of them. I'm of the opinion that Naruto's 'stupidity' in the series came from the teacher's inability/reluctance to teach him correctly.**

**Until next time, **

**Mash**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Foundations**

* * *

><p>Naruto bounced excitedly around the training field, eagerly waiting for his new teacher to get ready. "Kaiza-sensei! Hurry up!" Naruto yelled over at his teacher, who was currently stretching.<p>

"We'll see who's eager to move when you're cramping up, Naruto-kun." The man replied, smirking at the blonde's eagerness.

"I never cramp! Hokages can't afford to cramp up!" came the inevitable reply. Kaiza could never get the last word in with this kid.

The man in question just rolled his eyes before turning to the blonde, who was pacing back and forth. "What Jutsu will you be teaching me, sensei? Will I learn to walk upside down, or breathe fire- Oh! Can I learn to dig really fast underground?" Naruto exclaimed, practically going air-born.

"Naruto-kun, I think you should know that the Sandaime has forbidden me from teaching you any jutsu." Kaiza said.

Naruto was predictably outraged. "What? How can he do that? I need to learn powerful techniques if I'm going to kick that old man off his throne!" Naruto declared, steam practically pouring from his ears.

Kaiza chuckled, "In due time, you will. I'm only to refrain from teaching you jutsu until you join the academy. After that, I'm free to teach you whatever you want." Kaiza said, assuring the blonde.

The blonde kid pouted, "Well… I guess that's acceptable for now."

Kaiza smiled, and pointed down the road, "Naruto-kun, to start us off, we're going to have a light jog, which will also be used as a testing period. We will circle the village, and during that time, I'm going to quiz you on basic shinobi knowledge. The more questions you get right, the less time we run each day, and the more time we spent doing other activities."

Naruto looked less than pleased, but Kaiza continued, "All of the answers can be found in the standard-issue Konoha shinobi handbook. Since you are not eligible to visit the shinobi library, I will lend you mine." He finished, tossing Naruto a small, red book. "To go with that, I will lend you my bingo book. You are going to memorize the top 10 bounties this week." He tossed Naruto another red book.

"But why?" Naruto said, clearly displeased.

"Why what, Naruto?" Kaiza questioned.

"Why do I have to learn all of this crap?" The child demanded, gesturing at the books.

Kaiza only chuckled, "Naruto, information is a ninja's greatest tool. The Haruno clan is infamous for being 'book-smart' so to speak, and it has never failed us."

Naruto was still pouting, but seemed less inclined to argue now. "Fine. Are we starting now?"

Kaiza grinned and broke into a jog, surprising the blonde. "Yep!"

* * *

><p>Naruto panted in exhaustion as he struggled to keep up with his sensei, who seemed to only be mildly winded.<p>

"Come on, Naruto-kun. We've only been jogging for 45 minutes." Kaiza said, grinning. Who knew that the man had a sadistic streak?

"I- I'm only five!" the blonde yelled, nearly falling over as he stumbled. He managed to barely regain his balance, trotting alongside his sensei now.

Kaiza laughed and threw out a question, "When is a ninja most effective?"

"When nobody knows he is there." Naruto answered, almost robotically.

"Good. Why is a quick, silent kill better than a long, drawn-out battle?" Kaiza inquired, glancing at the blonde.

"Because we're ninja, not samurai. We work on quality and efficiency, not quantity and wastefulness." Naruto replied again, smiling as he remembered the answer.

"Excellent. You didn't remember that one last time." Kaiza said, before slowing down. "As a treat, we'll stop running for today."

Naruto just groaned and fell over, lying down in the cool grass. "W-what will we be doing next, sensei?"

Kaiza tapped his chin, propping himself up next to his student. "Well, you seem rather tired. We can either work on chakra molding, or we can work on your bingo book profiles."

Naruto laughed and coughed, "I suppose I can handle paper work just this once. Let's do the bingo book. Can we do chakra molding afterwards?"

Kaiza smiled and nodded, causing the blonde to smile in return.

Naruto grabbed the bingo book from his back pocket and flipped to the index. His eyes briefly scanned over the index, before narrowing and flipping a couple pages.

"Something wrong, Naruto?" Kaiza asked, glancing at his student.

"Yeah… I think there must be a mistake. Over half of the entries in here are from the same village." Naruto said, his eyes flicking over the book.

Kaiza nodded in realization. "Kirigakure. It's infamous for its missing-nin, and as a result, the shinobi who hunt down those ninja; Kiri has fierce Hunter-nin." Kaiza stated.

"Ho- shi- gaki… Kisame" Naruto read. "Highest bounty in Kirigakure." Naruto scanned through the page, "Is it normal for them not to mention what the ninja did to become a missing-nin?"

Kaiza nodded, "Often times it has to do with valuable information pertaining to the village in question." Kaiza glanced down at his student. "Naruto-kun, I want you to promise me that you will never, ever try and kill an S-Ranked missing-nin like Kisame."

Naruto just smiled as he flipped a page in the book, "Can't promise you that, sensei. I'd be lying."

Kaiza frowned, but couldn't argue with the kid. What he said was true.

"Momochi Zabuza." Naruto quirked an eyebrow at this entry, "Wanted for an assassination attempt on the Fourth Mizukage. They listed it this time, sensei."

The orange-haired man glanced over, "Ah, yes. Kirigakure was known as the 'Village of the Bloody Mist' during the reign of the Yondaime Mizukage. I have no doubt that the Godaime is not proud of that, and this is probably her way of 'honoring' Zabuza, so to speak." Kaiza mused, thinking on the matter.

Naruto frowned, "Why doesn't she just let him back into the village?"

"I have two theories on that." Kaiza said, looking up at the clouds, "One, and this is far more likely, her hands are tied politically. Zabuza nearly killed the leader of their village; the council would have a fit about having him back." The man said.

"And your second theory?" Naruto questioned. Kaiza was proud to be seeing Naruto's inquisitive side.

"My second theory is that she's scared of him. Zabuza came quite close to killing her predecessor, so she could possibly be wary." Kaiza said.

"But you don't think that's likely." Naruto stated.

Kaiza shrugged, "I don't know the Mizukage well enough to say if it's likely or not. I just know that politics play an extensive role in any village, so the first theory is a much more plausible option."

Naruto flipped through Zabuza's profile. He seemed to be interested.

"It says here that Zabuza murdered… his entire graduating class." Naruto paled, "That's how he got his position as one of the Seven Swordsmen."

The Haruno nodded, "Zabuza may be a monster, but he is an excellent example of a shinobi- or at least, what shinobi are meant to be." Kaiza paused, "Shinobi are tools to their village, machines used to murder."

Naruto nodded, his eyes flicking back and forth, "Yeah… I can see what you mean. He's a master of the silent killing technique…" Naruto frowned, "Is this really what it means to be a ninja, sensei?"

Kaiza flinched slightly, but nodded. "Being a ninja is not about being a hero, Naruto. It's about doing what your superiors tell you to do." Kaiza paused slightly, "However… a young man once said to me, 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash'." Kaiza smiled and glanced at Naruto, "I've always taken that saying to heart, because in Konoha, that's what being a ninja is about."

Naruto grinned and gave his sensei a thumbs-up, "Don't you worry, sensei. I will always protect my comrades, dattebayo!"

The older man smiled, pleased to see Naruto developing in such a positive way. "I know you will, Naruto."

Kaiza glanced upwards, noting the position of the sun. "It's almost noon, Naruto. Why don't we take a break from the bingo book and work on your chakra manipulation?"

Naruto smiled and nodded, pushing himself up and stretching. The boy recovered fast.

"Okay. Now, to begin molding chakra, most ninja use the 'Ram' hand seal." Kaiza stated, making the seal for Naruto to see. Naruto nodded eagerly and made the seal, looking at Kaiza expectantly. "For now, just focus with the seal held. Try and… 'feel' for the chakra within you. You've actually done this before, so it shouldn't be too hard." Kaiza said.

Naruto nodded and focused, his eyes squeezed tight in concentration.

"Don't try so hard." Kaiza said, "You're not trying to mold the chakra right now. You just want to find it."

Naruto gulped slightly and visibly relaxed. His mouth opened very slightly as his entire body relaxed, his hands still held in the Ram seal. "I… I think I can feel it… What's it supposed to feel like, sensei?"

"It should feel like a pressure in your… 'core'" Kaiza said, struggling for a proper word, "You'll definitely know it when you feel it."

Kaiza's eyes rose as the grass around Naruto began to swirl very lightly, churning around him like a very soft whirlwind. "Naruto-kun." He said, breaking the youngster's concentration.

Naruto blinked, and then groaned, "Aww, sensei! I almost had it, I know it!"

His sensei agreed, "Yes, I know you did. That's why I stopped you. I only want you to feel for your chakra for now. Do not try and mold it."

Naruto pouted slightly, "But I was shaping it! I could move it around and stuff!" the blonde glared, "I could probably have even done a jutsu!"

Kaiza just sighed. This kid had a bit of a one-track mind. "Naruto-kun, it's important that you take your time, and do this correctly. Furthermore, I can't let you learn any jutsu yet."

The young man gave a sigh of exasperation before just making the ram seal again, surprising his sensei. He had certainly expected a snarky retort. Naruto had conformed to his instructions this time. He could see Naruto visibly relax again, but the grass did not move. Kaiza smirked and sat down, pulling a book from his back pocket. One of the great uses for 'exploring' your chakra is that you quickly lose your sense of time.

Kaiza smiled and flipped the book open to pass the time.

* * *

><p>Danzo stared blankly at the man sitting across from him. Uchiha Fugaku was an intimidating man, and a worthy leader of his clan.<p>

"What do you need, Danzo-sama?" Fugaku said, with barely repressed disdain. Despite all of their strengths, the Uchiha had always had a problem with authority.

"I wanted to discuss your son, Sasuke." Danzo said simply, making Fugaku visibly bristle.

"I will be training my son exclusively until he is eligible to enter the academy, at which point he will be trained exclusively by his academy teachers." Fugaku stated firmly, glaring at Danzo, "You will not be overseeing the training of my son in any way, Danzo-sama."

Danzo did not react visibly. "Fugaku-sama, I have no intention of training Sasuke." He said, being as condescending as would allow, "However, I was curious if you would like to enter him into the academy prematurely."

Fugaku's eyes widened, before quickly narrowing. "What's your game, Danzo? You want something from me for this."

Danzo just shook his head, "No. I want nothing from you or your son, Fugaku. I simply want to see another prodigious child get the most out of his ninja career." Danzo smiled a genuine smile, "Sasuke could easily be as powerful as his older brother, Fugaku. Would you like to have _both _of your children graduate as Genin after only a year?"

Fugaku frowned, as if weighing his options. "Why are you asking me this now?"

"Because Sasuke will be of age soon. He is turning 6 in three months, correct?" Danzo inquired, nodding at the Uchiha.

Fugaku nodded back, doubt clearly playing across his face. He pulled out his wallet, and gently pulled out a picture of his family. It had himself and his wife, Mikoto standing behind their son Itachi, who had young Sasuke on his shoulders. His gaze settled on Sasuke's innocent face.

"I… I don't think I can expose Sasuke to this kind of violence like I did Itachi, Danzo-sama…" Fugaku said, looking up at the aged elder. "I want Sasuke to ha-…" Fugaku paused in his sentence as his eyes locked with _both _of Danzo's eyes.

Danzo's bandages around the right side of his face were pulled down, exposing the spinning Sharingan beneath. Fugaku sputtered slightly before becoming silent, his eyes glazing over.

"Fugaku. I need you to listen to me very carefully…" Danzo said peacefully, "Your son Sasuke is in danger. There is a man who wants to kill him."

Though Fugaku was clearly not in his right state of mind, his fists clenched, "Who… is… it?" the man mumbled, his eyes distant and unfocused.

Danzo smiled wickedly. Trying to hypnotize Fugaku had been a big gamble. It seemed however, that it was possible. "The man who wants to kill your dear, innocent son is…"

* * *

><p>Haruno Kaiza grinned as Naruto began molding chakra. The grass whipped around the boy's ankles as a testament to how much chakra the boy was molding. Kaiza had no doubt that the boy's premature chakra usage and quantity was caused by the demon inside of him. Even a prodigy can't defy biological laws.<p>

Naruto groaned and grunted in exertion, struggling to mold even more of his chakra. Kaiza was rather proud to be witnessing this.

"Naruto-kun, stop molding chakra, please." Kaiza requested, "I don't want you to pass out from exhaustion."

The boy exhaled rather painfully and hunched over as he released the seal, almost collapsing on the grass. "H-how did I do, s-sensei?" Naruto gasped, looking at Kaiza expectantly.

Kaiza smiled at the blonde, "You did quite well, Naruto-kun."

Kaiza twitched as a prickling went up his neck, as if he was being watched. He grunted and ignored it. He couldn't sense anyone nearby.

A loud grumble startled Kaiza out of his thoughts. Glancing over at his student, he noticed Naruto holding his stomach and grinning sheepishly. "Sorry, sensei. It's… it's been awhile since breakfast." Naruto said, giggling.

Kaiza chuckled and stood up, checking his wallet for money. "How about we go out for some ramen, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto grinned tiredly and gave Kaiza a thumbs up, signifying his agreement.

The orange-haired man smiled and held out his hand, "Okay Naruto-kun. There's just one catch this time."

Naruto blinked in confusion as he took the older man's hand, "Catch?"

Kaiza nodded, "We're taking the streets. No more alleyways. No more hiding. So long as you walk with me, you will walk through the streets like a proud citizen of Konoha."

The fear that shined through Naruto's eyes was far more intense than Kaiza had ever believed a boy of his age to possess. "Naruto-kun," the Haruno said, "I promise you that I will not let you get hurt. I'll protect you with my life." The man said, his eyes closing in a brilliant smile.

The young blonde still seemed hesitant, but he seemed a bit more open to the idea now, "You promise?" Naruto asked quietly, barely audibly.

"I promise, Naruto-kun." Kaiza replied. He gently gestured towards the busy streets of Konoha, "Are you ready?"

Naruto gulped and nodded, clinging to his sensei and guardian as they began walking towards the main streets.

The first streets that they traversed were in the shinobi section of the village, close to the training grounds. Due to this, Naruto did not get quite as many glares. There were some shinobi in the village that hated Naruto, but most ninja had a competent enough understanding of sealing to understand what the Yondaime had done.

It was the market-place streets that they were now walking down that Naruto got the most glares. The young boy clung to Kaiza for dear life, and the older man returned every last stare with equal intensity, occasionally tossing in a brief spell of killer intent to get his point across.

"Keep that demon away from our children…" floated a voice from the crowd. Kaiza heard several other voices, coming from all directions as he walked through the crowded streets. Had he been able to identify the perpetrators, he would have arrested them himself.

"Filthy beast…"

"Wolf in sheep's clothing…"

"Demon…"

"Monster…"

The voices floated past, each insult becoming more vicious. He could hear Naruto softly sobbing against him, making Kaiza's blood boil.

"Die, demon!" came a voice from behind him. Kaiza turned with more than enough time to see a man chuck a beer bottle at Naruto. Kaiza deftly caught the bottle out of the air, whipping his arm back out as he launched the bottle back at its owner. The bottle crashed against the man's forehead, immediately knocking him out.

The crowd back away from Kaiza, gasping in fright.

"…defending the demon… attacking civilians…"

"**Enough**!" Kaiza roared, flaring his chakra violently at the crowd. "I am the guardian of Uzumaki Naruto, and any additional attacks against his person will result in violent retaliation!"

"You defend that demon! He's nothing but the fo-" a man cried out, choking as Kaiza's fist collided with his throat, causing him to vomit and cough painfully.

"**Furthermore**," Kaiza announced, amplifying his voice with his chakra, "**Any violations of the Third's law will be dealt with swiftly**."

The crowd gasped again, immediately backpedaling away from the Chuunin. Kaiza's eyes flicked back to Naruto, spotting two shapes flying through the crowd at a speed much faster than any civilian.

A kunai flew from the crowd, aimed directly at Naruto's forehead. Kaiza disappeared in a flash, flickering to Naruto and grabbing the kunai out of the air, before bringing it above his head to block the downward slash of another kunai.

His eyes locked with the angry eyes of a young Chuunin. "That demon killed my family." The Chuunin hissed, "I will have my revenge."

Kaiza didn't oblige him with a response. He leaned back and kicked out at the Chuunin, causing him to back off. Spinning rapidly, Kaiza launched a kunai at the shuriken which was now flying at his student from the crowd. The kunai hooked the ring of the shuriken and pinned it to a wall.

Kaiza wasted none of his break. Going through the necessary handseals, he tilted his head back as he prepared his jutsu, "Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" cried the elder Chuunin as a fair-sized fireball erupted from his mouth, illuminating the marketplace as it soared high into the air. That would attract any ANBU in the village.

Kaiza immediately did a substitution as a kunai traveled through the space he had occupied just moments before.

The Haruno snorted and flicked a kunai, deflecting yet another shuriken aimed at his student. He was barely able to raise his kunai in time to block another downwards slash at his arm. Kaiza twirled around a kick at his abdomen, flicking a shuriken at the only Chuunin who had shown himself. His only visible opponent had brown hair, and a light scar running down his cheek.

Naruto screamed loudly, and Kaiza could hear the tell-tale whirring of what could only be a fuuma shuriken. There were definitely two opponents.

He prepared to move, but he jerked as a pressure wrapped itself around his arms. He snarled as he caught the glint of ninja wire. "No you don't, Mr. Hero." The scar-faced Chuunin said. "You're going to watch the kid die."

The brown-haired Chuunin shuddered as the temperature around them dropped several degrees. Looking into the eyes of his opponents, he nearly screamed as he found himself looking into deep-black pools that replaced the eyes of Haruno Kaiza.

"No," Kaiza said, his voice was slightly distorted, as if feedback were playing through it, "I'm not. You will not hurt my student, **shannaro!**"

Kaiza's eyes locked directly with the other Chuunin's, his hands going through a set of seals. "Haruno Hijutsu: Naibu Kyodo!"

The other Chuunin immediately began screaming, clawing at his eyes and body as the powerful genjutsu began tormenting the man.

Kaiza's eyes reverted back to normal and he slipped out from the ninja wire, grimacing as he realized he had taken longer than expected.

He saw Naruto, still screaming with an expression of terror as the giant metal weapon flew towards him. Kaiza wanted to scream out of frustration; he wouldn't reach the boy in time. He urged his muscles to move faster, his eyes picking up every last detail of his terrified student. '_Please, Naruto-kun… run…_'

Kaiza closed his eyes in grim realization, preparing to hear the gruesome sound of metal ripping through flesh.

A distinct clinging rang throughout the now-bare market place, prompting the Haruno to open his eyes. He was stunned into silence, and fell to his knees in gratitude as he saw the fuuma shuriken stopped in its tracks, pierced through the hole in the middle by a ninjato. Kaiza could have cried in gratitude as he saw a young boy perched on top of the sword, crouching with precision balance on the hilt.

The boy turned to him, revealing the weasel mask on his face, "Haruno Kaiza, you may stand down. The situation is now under control."

Kaiza ignored him, rushing forward to check on his student. Naruto had collapsed, looking at the fuuma shuriken with a look that was something between fear and awe. "I almost died…" Kaiza heard the child breathe out.

Kaiza didn't know what to say as he sat down next to his student. "Naruto… I'm so so-"

"Who are you?" Naruto said, questioning the ANBU who was still perched on the sword.

"I can't tell you, Naruto-san." The ANBU replied. "I hear my brother speaks highly of me, however. Perhaps that will help you figure it out."

Naruto blinked slightly, before breaking out in a grin, "He sure does!"

Before Naruto could speak again, Kaiza cut in. "What about the other shinobi?" he asked.

The ANBU jerked a finger down the street. "Shadow clone. It dispersed as soon as your genjutsu took effect."

The ANBU looked at the man who had attacked Naruto, who was now being carried off by another ANBU, "Speaking of which, that was quite an effective genjutsu, Haruno-san. I was not aware that the Haruno clan had any secret techniques."

Kaiza nodded, "It's something that myself and my father worked on. We were the only ninjas in the clan, so the technique is not widely known of. I would… prefer to keep it that way." Kaiza said, looking at the ANBU.

"I will not speak a word of it. Of course, I have to report everything that happens to the Hokage, but I would assume that he already knows of this." The ANBU replied.

Kaiza only nodded, before turning back to his student. "Naruto…" he said, at a loss for words.

Naruto just smiled back up at him, "Sensei! You never told me how awesome you are! Did you see all those things you did?" The blonde exuberantly began reenacting the fight, making Kaiza laugh and lean back, relieved that there was no lasting damage.

"You've got to teach me how to kick ass like that!" Naruto cheered, jumping into the air and attempting to do a flying kick.

Kaiza chuckled, "That's the plan, Naruto-kun. With any luck, you'll be able to kick far more ass than I ever will be." Kaiza glanced around, noticing how late it was. "How about we go grab something to eat before we report to the Hokage, hmm?" Kaiza glanced at the ANBU, subtly asking his permission. The weasel-masked boy nodded.

"Yatta!" Naruto cheered, "Then we get an early start on training in the morning! I want to be able to do moves like that, sensei!"

Kaiza laughed and took the boys hand, leading him down the street to the Ichiraku ramen stand.

Naruto grinned and looked back as they left the scene, waving at the Weasel-masked kid. "Thank you for saving me, Itachi-san!" the boy yelled, smiling from ear to ear.

Uchiha Itachi just smiled behind his mask before silently melting into the shadows, "You're welcome, Naruto-san."

* * *

><p><em>Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu – Fire release(style): Great Fireball Jutsu. Launches a big fireball. Needs no in-depth explanation.<em>

_Haruno Hijutsu: Naibu Kyodo - Haruno Secret Technique: Mind Division. Divides the separate personalities within each Haruno's mind. The separate personality is used to inflict a powerful genjutsu on anyone who allows eye-contact to be made between the Haruno and his/her opponent. Ineffective against most dojutsus/genjutsu-nullifying techniques._

**Well, there you have it, guys. My third installation. In case you guys are wondering, these past-events will not last forever. We're rapidly approaching a time-skip that will take us to Naruto's graduation as a Genin. I just wanted to firmly establish Naruto's foundation as a ninja.**

**Remember to read and review, guys. I live off of those things. Tell me what I'm doing right, and what I'm doing wrong. Please.**

**Until next time,**

**Mash.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Violence Begets Violence**

* * *

><p><strong>Okay folks. I had a review from the last chapter that complained about the attack on Naruto being 'illogical', and how ninja magically develop perfect self-control after they hit the rank of Chuunin.<strong>

**First of all, I should mention that emotions are not based on logic. If someone hates something, they are going to hate it regardless of laws that are supposed to prohibit that hate, or any logic that might reside in their head. In fact, that is the very **_**foundation **_**of bigotry. It happens all the time. **

**Secondly, it was mentioned that all Chuunin have perfect emotional control, and can all distinguish Naruto from the demon. I want to present one Chuunin in particular to you; Mizuki. Mizuki has **_**multiple**_** emotional outbursts, and sees Naruto as only the Nine-tailed fox. Iruka is another example. He does very little to control his emotions around Naruto, and saw Naruto as the Fox prior to getting to know him. Chuunin do not magically develop self-control when they are promoted. They obtain it through maturing and self-discipline.**

**Thirdly, this is a _F_**_**anfiction; **_**meaning that even if this was different from the canon, that it does not matter. These stories are **_**meant**_** to differ from the original storyline. If you aren't going to do anything other than attack the story rather than criticize is constructively, than I invite you to stop reading.**

**Now then, on to the story.**

* * *

><p>Naruto smiled as he bounded up the secluded trail, shouting back to his teacher. "Kaiza-sensei! Come on!"<p>

Kaiza chuckled as the blonde's voice carried down the trail, "Alright, alright. Naruto-kun, you have to remember that I'm not some young kid like you. Old age gets to you." The orange-haired man laughed as he sped up along the trail, glancing out towards the village below them.

The last week since the attack had gone by rather peacefully. Naruto had shown his amazing ability to brush off a near-death experience by immediately returning to his rigorous training (for a five year old) the very next day. Kaiza had never been more proud of his student.

The blonde ahead of him bolted forward, reaching a large clearing that looked down upon the village hidden in the leaves. Kaiza soon joined his student, grinning as Konoha stood before them in all its glory. "How did you find this place, Naruto-kun?" Kaiza said.

His student grinned, "Sensei, you don't know what we're standing on, do you?"

Kaiza looked down, sliding his foot along the large, stone canvas that was below him. As he glanced out and began orienting himself with the surrounding buildings, the conclusion hit him like a ton of bricks. "We're on top of the Hokage monument." He mumbled.

"On top of the Yondaime Hokage's head, actually." Naruto said, specifying.

Kaiza smiled at his student and sat down, letting the setting sun warm his body. "Do you come up here often, Naruto-kun?"

The blonde shrugged, "Not so much since you started training me- Well, not at all since you started training me." Naruto admitted, "I've been so busy with training that I haven't had time."

"I used to come up here to think..." Naruto frowned, "and to hide. Not many people know about this place."

Kaiza nodded and clapped a hand on his student's shoulder, assuring him. "Naruto-kun, I promise you that I will protect you no matter what. Nobody is going to hurt you as long as I breathe." Kaiza flinched at his own promise, a replay of the attack on Naruto replaying through his head. "And… I'm sorry for not protecting you when I should have."

Naruto glanced up at him, his face holding a confused expression. "Do you mean when we were ambushed in the street, sensei?"

The Haruno nodded and looked away.

Naruto just giggled, "You protected me as best as you could, sensei. Nobody would expect anything more."

Kaiza flinched. Though Naruto likely didn't realize that he had called Kaiza weak, it was still true. "I'll die before anyone hurts you, Naruto-kun." The man stated.

Naruto just smiled, glancing into the sunset. "I bet Sakura-chan would like it here. She told me that she really likes sunsets."

The Haruno was startled by the sudden subject change, but gladly took it. "I imagine she would as well, Naruto-kun."

An extended silence swept over the two as they sat quietly side by side, master and student looking out at the village that they both loved, and would die for.

Kaiza didn't speak up until he saw his student shifting uncomfortably, as if he wanted to ask something. "Something on your mind, Naruto-kun?"

The young boy sighed, but decided to speak his mind, "Sakura-chan doesn't like me, does she?"

Kaiza was startled to say the least, "Why would you say that, Naruto-kun?"

The sunlight gently illuminated the boy's face, his eyes were sullen and depressed. "I haven't seen her since the incident with her father. I think she hates me for making her father mad." Naruto sniffed and rubbed his nose.

Kaiza smiled grimly and gently patted the boy's back. "Naruto, I know for a fact that Sakura-kun does not hate you."

"Then why don't we ever talk anymore?" the younger boy asked, a tear threatening to spill down his cheek. "She was one of the only people who ever talked to me… and now I have nobody…" Naruto blinked as he realized what he had said. "Well, I mean except for sensei of course."

Kaiza sighed and looked off into the sun, which was now dipping behind the mountains. "Sakura-kun doesn't hate you. Her father… my brother… thinks you're a bad influence." The orange-haired man mumbled.

"Can't we go prove to him that I'm not?" Naruto pleaded. It tore at Kaiza's heart to see his student like this. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. My brother… he's very stubborn. He doesn't see you like I do."

Kaiza smiled though, and patted the boy's shoulder. "However, Naruto-kun… Sakura has been expressing her interest to become a kunoichi."

This caught the boy's attention. "She has? I thought she didn't like shinobi…" Naruto mumbled, glancing at the village.

"Sakura-kun looks up to me even more than she does her own father, whether he realizes it or not. He has been pushing her to do something- anything other than ninja-related work." Kaiza said, his mind flashing over the memories of his niece.

The boy smiled, "Sakura-chan is strong. I think she'll be a good shinobi."

Kaiza chuckled, "She's hit you, has she?"

The man laughed loudly as his student grinned and nodded, rubbing a spot on the back of his head. "Yeah, Sakura-kun has a mean right-hook."

The two chuckled, glancing out at the village as the sun finally dipped below the mountains.

Naruto took in a breath of fresh air, "So, what does Sakura's wanting to become a kunoichi have to do with me, sensei?"

Kaiza grinned at his student. "Well, she'll have to go to the academy, won't she?"

Naruto blinked for a second, before the realization slowly drifted across his face. Naruto grinned brightly and stood up excitedly, pumping his fist in the air, "Yatta! I'm going to show Sakura-chan just how powerful I've become!"

Kaiza grinned and stood up as well, before offering Naruto his hand. "Why don't we take you home, Naruto-kun? It's getting late, and we have a long day tomorrow."

The energetic blonde nodded and took his teacher's hand. "I've pretty much memorized all of you que-"

Naruto couldn't finish, as Kaiza had wrapped his arm around the boy's waist and dived off to the left, avoiding the barrage of shuriken that flew from the bushes behind them, flying off into the darkening village.

"Who's there?" Kaiza demanded.

"A man who's protecting his son." The voice came from right next to Kaiza. Kaiza resisted the urge to yelp in surprise and whipped out a kunai, attempting to lodge it into the man's body. Red eyes glared at the Haruno as a tanto was pulled from its holster, deflecting the kunai effortlessly.

Naruto whimpered and fell backwards, the blood-red eyes of his assailant glaring down at him. He quickly began crawling backwards, before bumping into the trunk of a tree.

Kaiza grunted and spun, avoiding the jab made by the Uchiha, and kicked the tanto out of the way, jabbing out with his own blade. Kaiza groaned as the Uchiha nimbly darted around the kunai. The red-eyed assailant grabbed Kaiza's arm and pulled him forwards, lodging his knee in the orange-haired man's gut.

Naruto whimpered again as his teacher was injured. He wanted to scream for help. He wanted to run… but those eyes… he couldn't look away from them, and they kept him paralyzed. He could only cry as he watched the Uchiha assault his teacher.

"Run, Naruto!" Kaiza screamed desperately, lashing out with his knife again.

Kaiza went through a flurry of handseals, ending with tiger. "Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" the man cried, beginning to breathe out the bright flames. He choked as the Uchiha's fist slammed into his stomach, and then his throat, effectively ending the stream of fire. Kaiza gasped as the light briefly illuminated the face of Uchiha Fugaku… the clan leader.

"W- why?" Kaiza managed to gasp out, clutching his aching throat.

"I won't let anyone hurt my son." Fugaku said, his eyes burning with hatred. The elder ninja stabbed out with his tanto, the blade ripping through the air like lightning. Kaiza just barely managed to substitute himself with the branch of a tree. He gasped as he tried to assess the situation.

This man has had multiple opportunities to attack his student. Kaiza's eyes narrowed as he realized that _he _was the one and only target. Kaiza located his student, who was still frozen against the trunk of the tree. The boy seemed to be petrified.

"Don't get distracted."

A slicing pain ripped through Kaiza's side, and he screamed as the tanto ripped straight through his flak jacket. The man threw himself out of the tree, landing in a jumbled heap in the clearing, holding his bleeding side.

"Please, Naruto-kun!" Kaiza pleaded, "Run! Get help!"

"He can't do anything." A fist sailed into his gut, doubling him over. "His body is paralyzed, but his eyes are witnessing it all." Fugaku said, before elbowing his back. The man grunted as he elbowed a log, the poof of smoke indicating the Haruno's substitution.

A kunai sailed through the air, and Fugaku caught it between his thumb and index finger. He discarded the kunai and scoffed. "You want to assassinate my son, Haruno? I doubt he would even be killed by such an unskilled opponent."

Fugaku smirked as the orange-haired man charged from the bushes, murder in his eyes, "I don't want to kill your fucking son!" Kaiza screamed, before taking out a kunai in reverse-grip.

Fugaku calmly jabbed with his tanto, and the Haruno predictably moved around it. Flipping the tanto into reverse grip as well, Fugaku whipped the blade out with his other arm. Kaiza brought the kunai between the tanto and his unprotected, already-injured side. Fugaku angled the blade upwards, sliding the tanto's blade up the hilt of the kunai.

The Uchiha saw the Haruno's next move with his superior eyes, and flicked out a shuriken at the man as he tried to duck under the tanto.

Fugaku followed it up by bringing the tanto down, angling the blade at the man's partially exposed neck. The blade sliced cleanly through, cutting straight through… the kunai that the man had substituted with.

"Don't leave your toys laying around." Came the Haruno's voice from behind him. Fugaku's eyes widened. The first kunai…

Fugaku sputtered as the knife of his opponent pushed through his flak jack, and began cutting through his body. The tip of the knife protruded through his chest, right where his heart was.

Kaiza coughed and relaxed, the kunai lodged firmly in his opponent's body.

Unfortunately for the Haruno, he observed too late the fact that his opponent was not bleeding. The kage bunshin he had stabbed erupted in an explosion of smoke, causing Kaiza's eyes to widen. No…

Kaiza immediately turned to his student, searching frantically for the Uchiha. Kaiza saw his student still against the tree, and he could see the terror that was alive in Naruto's eyes. A single tear trickled down the young blonde's cheek.

* * *

><p>Naruto could only stare in horror as a figure emerged from the smoke of the kage bunshin. The red, spinning eyes of the Uchiha glared balefully at the unprotected back of his sensei. Naruto could do nothing to warn him. Nothing to protect him. Naruto wanted to cry; he wanted to die in his sensei's place…<p>

A single tear trailed down his cheek as the ominous blade was raised higher, its blood-soaked tip shining eerily in the moonlight.

Kaiza's face twisted into a visage of pain as a ripping sound echoed throughout the clearing. His teacher glanced down in terror and disbelief as the tip of the tanto protruded from his chest.

Naruto's sensei glanced at his student, a tear sliding down his cheek as well as he glanced at his innocent student. Naruto couldn't hear him, but he could watch Kaiza's bloodied lips form the words 'I'm… sorry…'

The Uchiha savagely ripped the blade from his sensei's heart, causing the man's body to twitch slightly before falling to the ground. Kaiza's eyes glazed over as he hit the dirt, his mouth hanging open slightly. He was dead.

Red filled Naruto's vision. His guardian… his sensei… his friend was now dead… killed by this man he had never met before.

Naruto wanted to scream, he wanted to run and attack this man. He felt his blood boil, and a strange sensation bubble from the depths of his body. It was a strange… empowered feeling.

The enraged blonde could feel his finger twitch, this new power coursing through his body, restoring his control. A strange red aura was encircling his body, making a sizzling sound as it came into contact with the plant life around him. The tree he was leaning against groaned and wilted. The red energy carved gouges in the dirt around him, and Naruto felt himself regain control of his body.

"Not so fast, Kyuubi." Floated a voice from in front of him.

Naruto snarled and looked up, his now-slitted eyes locking with the cold, calculating eyes of Uchiha Fugaku.

The youngster gasped as the sharingan eyes began spinning. Naruto wailed pitifully as the sudden urge of power began deserting him, as if at the command of the man who had killed his teacher.

Naruto became immersed in the red eyes of his attacker. The boy screamed as every fear he had ever had was realized. He saw his sensei die over and over, the blood splattering across the walls of his apartment, across the Hokage tower. Sarutobi Hiruzen grinned wickedly at Naruto, his face covered in Kaiza's blood.

"I've come for you now, Naruto-kun." The elderly man cackled. Naruto screamed as his Jiji held up the decapitated head of his sensei.

Suddenly Naruto was looking once again into the blood-red eyes of his Uchiha tormentor.

The boy screamed violently, before lashing out. The young blonde screamed bloody murder as he thrashed at the Uchiha, who simply avoided the blonde. Naruto's eyes widened as he was suddenly beset by the overwhelming urge to run. He wanted nothing more than to run for as long as his legs could carry him. Had Naruto been less traumatized, he probably could have realized that this voice in his head, this sudden urge to run… was not his own.

Uchiha Fugaku watched as the boy sprinted as fast as he could, sprinting in the direction of the village wall. He didn't know how Naruto got out of the village, but he knew that the blonde had done it before, and would do it again.

The Uchiha looked down at his fallen adversary. "You will not harm my son." Fugaku mumbled, as if in a trance.

Another set of red eyes watched from the darkness as the Uchiha stumbled back to the Uchiha sector of the village. "Father… what have you done?"

* * *

><p>The Sandaime stared at his old rival, who was sitting on the other side of his desk.<p>

Danzo stared back, "Hokage-sama, as much as I love these little visits, I do have important work to do."

"What have you done with Uzumaki Naruto?" Hiruzen asked, not in the mood for mincing words. Any lesser man would have been cowering in fear from the massive amounts of killing intent that was flowing in waves off of the elder Hokage.

Danzo was not a lesser man, however, and did not so much as flinch. "Uzumaki Naruto? I would assume that he's at his apartment, Hokage-sama. It is still quite early, afterall." Danzo said, refraining from smirking in victory.

Hiruzen glowered. "I know you had something to do with it, Danzo. My ANBU found the body of Haruno Kaiza on top of the Hokage monument. He had fatal stab wounds that matched perfectly with those created by a tanto." The Hokage stated. "If I recall correctly, your ROOT members used weapons very similar to that."

Danzo nodded. "Indeed, they did. However, if _I _recall correctly, not only has ROOT been disbanded for quite some time, but the Uchiha clan also favors tools of the same type."

Hiruzen glared at Danzo, who returned the stare. "Hokage-sama, we both know that the Uchiha clan has been acting… unfavorably of late. Would it be so strange to think that one of them tried to kill young Uzumaki-kun?"

"Yes." Hiruzen answered, "They have no reason to want Naruto-kun dead."

Danzo countered quickly, "But your other assumption is, of course, that _I _killed him. What reason do I have to kill him, Hiruzen? If you will recall, I have been asking to train the boy for years."

"I don't claim to know why you do the things you do, Danzo." Sarutobi said, glaring at the other man, "All I know is that they are always wrong. You do not respect the Will of Fire."

Danzo stood up, looking at his rival, "You are correct, Hiruzen. You do not know why I do the things I do, and that is why you are a failure of a Hokage." Danzo hobbled towards the door, before glancing back. "I respect the _Wrath _of Fire, Hokage-sama."

The old war-hawk smiled to himself as he hobbled out of the Hokage tower, breathing in a breath of fresh, morning air. "Report." He stated.

"Uchiha Fugaku completed his mission. He murdered Haruno Kaiza, and sent the Kyuubi running." Came a voice from the shadows.

"Good. What of Fugaku's mental state?" Danzo replied, pretending to stretch.

"Uchiha Fugaku does not remember your meeting, though he does remember the murder. He was absolutely convinced that his son's life was in danger." The voice replied to its master.

Danzo smiled evilly, "Excellent. Let that be a lesson for all of my subordinates. Let them see how easy it is to manipulate a man's emotions."

The elder man did not await a reply as he continued down the street, looking up at the Hokage monument. It would not be long, now. His face would be up on that mountain.

* * *

><p>A young blonde boy struggled to keep himself upright as the late afternoon sun beat down on his back. He had been moving non-stop for nearly three days, and his body was about to collapse from dehydration.<p>

Naruto blinked dryly, his mind on auto-pilot.

The boy staggered to the side of the road, looking down at the slightly muddy puddle of water. He gently kneeled next to it, and dipped his hands in, pulling up a handful of refreshing water. After the first drop touched his lips, Naruto's conscious mind seemed to click back on, reminding him of just how thirsty he was.

Naruto all but dived into the puddle, his face mostly submerged as he greedily sucked down the water, regardless of whatever else he was swallowing.

The young Jinchuuriki collapsed after he had drained the puddle, painfully holding his stomach as the water reminded him of how empty is was. He moaned pitifully, his mind tenderly exploring the memories prior to his mind shutting down.

Naruto cried helplessly as he remembered his sensei. Tears streamed down his face as he remembered the look of terror on his mentor's face.

"Kaiza-sensei…" Naruto moaned, sniffing as the tears dripped onto the road beside him.

The blonde carefully stood up and looked around. After three days of walking on auto-pilot, he had absolutely no idea of where he was.

'_Kirigakure._' The thought burst through his mind so suddenly that Naruto reeled backwards slightly. Kirigakure? Why did he want to go there?

'_Safety. Friends. Kirigakure._' More thoughts bounced through his head, confusing the blonde further. He had friends in Kirigakure? Where were these strange thoughts coming from?

"Oi, gaki." A voice from behind him announced.

Naruto yelped and turned around, his body settling into a defensive stance.

The blonde's eyes widened as he took in the features of the man in front of him. He was easily 6 feet tall, if not higher. The man had pitch black hair that spiked at random angles, and bandages wrapped around the bottom half of his face. The most alarming thing about this man was the enormous sword strapped to his back, and the Kirigakure headband that the worn on his forehead.

Naruto gaped, as he recognized this man. "M- m- momochi Zabuza!" the blonde cried out, pointing a finger at the missing-nin.

The man's eyes narrowed, and he gripped the hilt of his sword. "How do you know my name, gaki?"

Naruto shrieked and scooted backwards, much to Zabuza's amusement, "B-bingo book! I saw you in the bingo book!"

Zabuza snorted and released the hilt of his sword. "You're lucky that I don't enjoy killing kids, brat. Come on, Haku. We're leaving."

For the first time Naruto saw the figure that was hiding behind Zabuza's enormous body. It was a small child, probably around Naruto's age. He wasn't quite sure if it was a boy or a girl, though. The kid was wearing rags and had shoulder-length hair, but had very feminine features.

Haku glanced at Naruto, brown eyes locking with bright blue. The child waved at Naruto as he or she passed, the other hand clinging to Zabuza's pant leg.

"W-wait!" Naruto yelled, making Zabuza pause and glance back at him, his hand inching towards his sword.

"Make it quick, brat." The ninja growled.

Naruto sputtered, before composing himself, "I need to find Kirigakure! P-please point me in the right direction!" Naruto bowed low, his head touching the dirt of the road.

The ninja's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why do you need to find Kiri?"

Naruto blinked, "I… I don't actually know. All I know is that I have to find it!"

Zabuza just sighed, before continuing to walk down the road. "Just keep going down the road, brat. You'll find the port eventually."

Naruto didn't respond, but flinched when he heard a light thump next to his head. Looking up, he was startled to see half a loaf of bread next to him. The boy glanced down the road, and saw the other child Haku looking back at him. Haku smiled and waved at him.

Naruto waved back, before glancing down at the piece of bread. The boy began hungrily attacking the bread. He had a feeling that it was going to be a long journey to Kiri.

* * *

><p><strong>Alrighty, guys. Now, I have thought of one little inconsistency in my story. Danzo, in the series, didn't have the Sharingan until he had murdered Shisui. In this story, it's probably a little early for him to have the eye… but I'm going to move things up. At this point in time Shisui is dead, Itachi has the Mangekyou, and Danzo has the Sharingan.<strong>

**If you guys spot anything else like that, please point it out. I'll try and fix it if it's a noticeable contradiction.**

**Please, read and review. Until next time, **

**Mash.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Refuge**

* * *

><p><strong>I got a review last chapter that questioned the likelihood of a redlight district in a shinobi village. This review took me by surprise because this seemed relatively self-explanatory.<strong>

**I suppose I haven't really explained this well enough, though. The review essentially said that a red-light district would be unlikely because illegal events that occur in a red-light district would not go undetected or unhindered as they do in the real world. This is true, illegal events on a scale like this would not go undetected. That's why they aren't illegal. In a culture where murder, a capital offense in the real-world, is considered commonplace and relatively normal, then I don't see that shock in accepting prostitution as legal. **

**The second part of the review argued that even if said events were legal, that they would have no place in a ninja village, as it does not serve that purpose. You have to remember that there are civilians that live in this village, as well. There are normal people in the village that do not live the life of a ninja, and live lives very comparable to our own. The red-light district would cater to that kind of crowd, generally. A ninja or two might get mixed up in it if they needed it. You also have to take into account that ninja lead very stressful lives. Brothels and bars are vices that would take away from that stress.**

**So long as humans reside in the Narutoverse, these kinds of areas will always be around.**

* * *

><p>A young boy stuttered bashfully as he stared up at the beautiful woman in front of him.<p>

"Awww… Chojuro-chan is blushing!" the woman cooed, poking at the boy's cheek, only causing the youth further distress. "Poor little Chojuro-chan is so embarrassed for his first day at the academy!" the woman continued, teasing the boy.

"A man should not allow a woman to make him so flustered, Chojuro." A voice from behind the woman said. "You are to represent the village with dignity and pride, not babbling like some school girl." The voice belonged to a man who looked to be in his late twenties. He was dressed in a greenish-blueish robe that went along well with his light-blue hair. His most defining feature was the black eyepatch that covered his right eye.

"Don't bully Chojuro-chan, Ao!" the woman snapped, turning on the light-haired man.

"I'm not bullying him!" Ao insisted, "I'm merely educating him in proper mannerisms when engaging a woman in conversation!"

A tick-mark formed on the woman's brow, and the temperature in the room fell several degrees. '_Engaging? Engage… __**Engagement…**_'

"Shut up, or I'll kill you." The woman hissed, her smile never leaving her lips.

Ao backpedaled, sweating rapidly, "What! What did I do?"

Chojuro giggled, looking up at the threatening woman. "Thank you, Mizukage-sama! I'll do my best in the academy, and protect you with my life!" the boy stumbled on his words, and then blushed. "Or… I'll try, at least."

The Mizukage giggled and patted Chojuro's head, "Don't doubt yourself, Chojuro-chan. I can see a warrior in you."

Ao, eager to re-earn his favor with the Mizukage quickly jumped back into the conversation. "That's right! You're much too old to be acting in such a reserved manner, Chojuro!"

'_**Too… old?**_' The Mizukage sharply glanced at Ao, her stare slicing through the very fiber of his being. "Ao-kun… shut up, or I'll rip out your liver and feed it to you."

Ao once again backpedaled, yelping slightly and curling into a ball, rocking in a soothing motion. He could never figure out just what it was he said that set the Mizukage off, but it always spelled danger for him.

The blue-haired man did however notice his leader become quite tense as she glanced at a corner of the room.

Ao stood up, and walked over to the young boy. "Chojuro, why don't we get you to the academy, hmm? Mizukage-sama probably has lots of personal work to attend to."

The boy smiled and nodded, taking the hand of the elder man. The boy didn't notice as Ao subtly replaced himself with a water clone. The door to the Mizukage's office closed with a sharp snap, and the Mizukage let out a sigh of relief.

Mei Terumi, the Godaime Mizukage, had deep red hair that traveled all the way down to her ankles. She barely managed to contain her sizeable breasts within the dark-blue dress that was exceptionally low-cut, leaving little to the imagination. Her light green eyes stared piercingly into the corner of her office.

"Show yourself." Mei stated, her voice no longer carrying the happy-go-lucky cheer from before.

Ao tensed, but managed to stop himself from activating his doujutsu needlessly. It was not well-known, even within Kirigakure, but Ao had managed to defeat one of the esteemed Hyuuga of Konoha, and took the shinobi's eye as a token of victory. Ao was glad he didn't activate it, as he saw who appeared in the room.

Shimura Danzo was not a person that the Mizukage had ever wanted to see in her office.

"Mizukage-sama." Danzo said simply, bowing.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Danzo." Mei threatened, "You infiltrate my village, and then sneak into my office uninvited. I should kill you right now." The woman bristled as her threat only made the man smile.

Danzo held up a folder, before tossing it onto the desk of the Mizukage. "That folder contains the portfolio of nearly every ninja in this village, as well as a detailed report of guard duties, and weaknesses in various security measures."

The Mizukage's eyebrows rose and she snarled. She was about to incinerate the folder, but Danzo held up a hand. "That is not the only copy, Mizukage-sama." The man said, smirking.

Mei glowered, her eyes burning holes into the man in front of her. "So what then, Danzo? What do you want from me?"

Danzo glanced out the window, "In a day or so, a young blonde boy will stumble through the gates of your village. You are to accept him as a citizen without question, and enter him into your academy program."

Ao raised an eyebrow, "That's it?"

Danzo nodded. "You will raise the boy, and turn him into a competent shinobi. I will come back for him at my discretion."

Mei bristled, "We are not your personal shinobi factory, Danzo. You cannot expect us to just… raise some brat for you."

"You can either raise the child, or you can go to war." Danzo said simply. "With the information in that folder, it would be little work for my subordinates to quickly and effectively begin shutting down your village."

The tension in the room rose, and Danzo only smirked at the Mizukage.

The woman in question just took in a large breath of air to calm herself. "Okay… Danzo. My question is… why us? Why not do it yourself?"

The elderly man looked her dead in the eye, "Keep in mind, Mizukage-sama, that I _will_ burn this village to the ground if you betray me." The man warned, before answering her question. "The child in question is Uzumaki Naruto, the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

A look of understanding crossed the Mizukage's face, and a small smile played across her lips.

"I see now. You can't keep him in Konoha because the villagers despise him." Mei stated, to which Danzo nodded. "Alright, fair enough. Why don't you train him personally?"

"The Sandaime Hokage will not give me permission to train the child." Danzo said. "I had to move to drastic measures to ensure that he was developed properly."

Ao began sweating, "What kind of drastic measures exactly, Danzo? If you did something serious, then this crime could fall into Kirigakure's-"

"Do not worry yourself." Danzo assured the man. "I have set up everything perfectly. So long as you hold up your end of the bargain, no harm will befall Kirigakure no sato."

"How will you explain the child disappearing, and then magically showing back up?" Mei questioned, scrutinizing the war-hawk.

The elder smiled, "We'll tell the truth. Young Naruto was traumatized by the… event that caused him to flee from his home, and ran to the nearest safe location." The old man said, shifting, "When Naruto is adequately trained, I will report to the Sandaime that I have located the boy, and I will retrieve him."

Mei nodded, "What event was it exactly that traumatized him?"

A grim smile played over Danzo's face, "The murder of his one and only friend in the world."

The Mizukage snarled slightly, "You really are twisted, Danzo. How do you plan on covering up the murder?" Mei could barely contain her disgust of the elder man.

"The murderer will be long dead before any revealing evidence gets brought forth. Naruto-kun is the only evidence of the murder, and said murderer will have been dead for several years." Danzo explained, leaning on his cane. "Now, I have given you more than enough information. I will have an agent make reports once every three months to monitor the Kyuubi's development."

The man stepped backwards, his body melding with the shadows, "I trust you will not betray me, Mizukage-sama."

Mei growled and jabbed a finger at the corner. "Make sure he's gone, Ao. I want you and every hunter-nin you can get your hands on to scour the village. Find _anyone_ who isn't a Kirigakure shinobi or citizen." Mei tapped her chin, "Also, scramble the guard duties."

Ao saluted before quickly dashing out the door, activating his Byakugan to monitor the village. He would deal with any snakes that he found inside these walls.

* * *

><p>Naruto groaned as he looked down at the port-city below him.<p>

The land of water's borders started the second you stepped off the shore, and Naruto could see a heavy layer of fog out at sea. How on Earth was he supposed to make it to Kirigakure? Surely a ticket would cost money.

Naruto tapped his chin. It would probably require a passport of some sort, as well. He had absolutely no ID, and no way of getting to reputably the most secluded hidden village.

The boy focused chakra to his fist, and quickly lashed out at a tree. He frowned as he saw absolutely no change in the bark. "Still nothing, huh?" Naruto sighed, "This chakra control crap is harder than I thought."

The blonde boy glanced back down at the town. He would have to sneak on somehow. He glanced at the docks, noticing the guards. They looked like they might be samurai. Naruto had never seen ninja wear that much armor.

The prankster of Konoha grinned to himself as he scanned the various buildings. He would need to pull off quite the prank. He grinned even more as he spotted a ninja supply shop amongst the buildings.

Despite Naruto's loud nature, he _could_ be quiet when he needed to. Such was the case as he pressed his back against the ninja supply shop. Luckily there were no clients inside. Naruto fingered the two smoke pellets in his hand. He would have a maximum of five seconds to grab all of the necessary supplies.

Naruto took a deep breath and counted to 10, calming his rapidly beating heart.

8…

9…

10…

Naruto spun around and jumped in the air, his foot lashing out at the back window of the shop. The window crashed open, and Naruto quickly lobbed the two smoke pellets inside, despite the owner's cry of outrage.

To throw the man off, Naruto bolted around the front of the building and dived in through the doors as the pellets went off, enveloping the shop in smoke.

The blonde boy ran as fast as his legs could carry him, smiling and whipping his hand out as he felt his fingers brush some additional smoke pellets. Bonus time.

He nimbly ducked as the end of a broomstick shot from the smoke, intent on nailing him in the forehead. Naruto reached back and grabbed the broomstick, using the momentum of the swing to lift him up into the air, sending him flying across the shop.

Naruto smiled and nabbed his last needed material, a reel of ninja-wire as he was vaulted towards the window. Covering his face with his arms, he was brutally tossed out the window.

The boy crashed through the window, ignoring the pain that enveloped his back. Spinning the air, Naruto managed to only roll twice before straightening himself out and immediately bolting down the street. The crowd was either too shocked, or too amused to try and grab him, because he was able to make a free break for the tree-line. He was completely unaware of the Byakugan that diligently followed his movements, or the mirth of the man who held it.

"That boy is quite the fighter. Already showing exceptional manly qualities, even at his youthful age." Ao said as he watched the blonde sprint for the treeline.

Naruto barely managed to dive into the bushes as the shop owner burst out of the shop, his face completely red.

The boy didn't stop running for a good 10 minutes, silently thanking his former sensei for his daily routine of conditioning the boy. Naruto did stop eventually, and sat down to take inventory of what he'd grabbed.

Ten high-power explosive tags, a camouflage blanket, and the reel of wire.

Naruto grinned and slinked around the village, looking for a good spot to set up his diversion.

He found one quickly. It was an old fence that was between two nice-looking shops. Naruto smiled to himself and began wrapping the explosive-tags to the fence with the ninja wire. Naruto smiled as he looked at his handiwork. He admitted that it was a little bit sloppy, but in the end it wouldn't matter. He quickly threw the camouflage blanket over his bomb, concealing it as if it were only a normal fence.

Taking the reel of wire, Naruto began backing up, laying down a trail of wire as he slowly made his way to a good vantage point to watch the dock guards. Naruto smiled as he found a small hill that was easily within running distance of the docks. While all of the guards were busy dealing with a hidden terrorist, Naruto would take the time to hitch a ride on the boat.

Naruto pressed his fingers to the wire, and began molding his chakra, just as sensei had taught him. After gathering his chakra, he began carefully pushing it to his fingers. Naruto smiled as he felt the chakra at his fingers leaving rapidly, getting pulled into the highly-conductive ninja wire.

After several seconds of this, Naruto began to frown. He knew that chakra didn't travel instantaneously, but it still should have ignited the tags by now.

"You're very lucky that I was here to stop this." A voice said from beside him.

Naruto shrieked and bolted forward, immediately turning around midair and throwing the reel of wire at the voice in question. Naruto's eye twitched as the blue-haired man he had thrown the wire at just laughed loudly and caught the reel. "Well, well. It seems that you weren't quite the man I thought you were, Naruto-san."

"H-how do you know my name?" Naruto asked, pointing a trembling finger at the man.

"I've been asked by the Mizukage to come retrieve you. She informed me that you would be arriving." Ao said. It wasn't completely a lie.

Naruto almost fell on his face. "T-the Mizukage sent for me?" He frowned, "How did she know I was coming?"

"Naruto-kun, nothing happens in or around the land of water that the Mizukage does not know about." Ao said, carefully concealing his bluff. "For instance, she knew that you would try and sneak on to the boat to Kiri, and attempt to create a rather… messy diversion." Ao held up a bit of Naruto's ninja-wire, which was pinched between his thumb and forefinger. "You're lucky that I am capable of stopping the chakra flow, Naruto-san. Had I not been here, you would have been jailed shortly after arriving to Kirigakure."

Naruto gulped and tried to calm down, "S-so what now?"

Ao smiled and took out a scroll. "Now we get you to Kiri." He unraveled the scroll, revealing a series of intricate markings displayed along the canvas. "This is a summoning scroll that links straight to the Mizukage's office. It takes up quite a bit of chakra to use, so I'll be a bit bushed when we get to Kiri." Ao explained. "Please take my hand, Naruto-san."

Naruto nodded hesitantly, before lightly touching the older man's palm.

"Reverse summoning." Ao mumbled, before slicing his palm and slamming it on the scroll. Naruto stood wide-eyed as he witnessed enormous amounts of chakra being taken from the older shinobi.

A blinding light encompassed Naruto, and the man beside him collapsed on the floor as the light died down.

The room he was in now… it looked exactly like the Hokage's office.

Naruto began hyperventilating, his back pressed again the wall. No… No, he couldn't be back… there was no way…

Naruto's eyes flicked over to the desk, noticing a woman with dark red hair staring at him intently. Above her head was a large, circular plaque with the Kanji for 'water' on it. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't relax. His eyes turned to the man on the floor, who was now sitting upright, barely.

"N-Naruto-san… please don't be afraid." Ao managed to gasp out.

"Go get some rest, Ao. You know how much that jutsu takes out of you." The woman said, snapping her fingers at the man. Naruto could barely contain his giggle as Ao promptly passed out, his head hitting the hardwood floor.

"Welcome to Kirigakure no sato, Naruto-kun." The woman said, smiling down at him. "I am Mei Terumi, better known as the Godaime Mizukage."

Naruto was still somewhat tense as the woman walked around her desk, gesturing to the man on the ground. "That is Ao. He's an idiot, so you'll have to excuse him." She said, causing the boy to giggle despite himself.

The Mizukage leaned down next to Naruto, studying him. The blonde couldn't help but blush as the woman's eyes took in his features. Mei tentatively traced one of Naruto's whisker marks with a finger, causing the boy to blush more.

"Why did you run away from Konoha, Naruto-kun?" Mei asked gently, looking into the eyes of the young boy.

The Mizukage carefully analyzed the boy as his face lit up with real, genuine fear. That was not an emotion that you could fake on such an intense level, particularly at this boy's age. There was also sadness there, too. Mei watched a tear form in his eyes, and gently trail down his cheek. "M-my s-sensei…" the boy stuttered, trying to talk around his sobs. "We w-were just out o-on the Hokage m-monument…"

Mei flinched and gently set a hand on the boy's shoulder, assuring the child. Naruto sobbed some more, shuddering, "W-we were attacked b-by a man with red eyes…"

Mei's eyes narrowed. Red eyes? The only red eyes in Konoha were the Uchiha clan. If Danzo was capable of manipulating a clan like that… The woman shuddered slightly.

"He killed my sensei!" Naruto yelled, tears streaming from his eyes. "H-he was m-my only friend…"

The Godaime was many things, but she was certainly not a monster. She cursed Danzo with every fiber of her being as she pulled the small child into a hug, letting the boy cry onto her shoulder. "I won't let anyone hurt you here, Naruto-kun." Mei muttered, rubbing the crying boy's back. Children had always been a soft spot for the Godaime, and probably could be considered an exploitable weakness. Mei thought of Danzo and scowled; no, definitely an exploitable weakness.

That man had backed her into a corner. As much as she would like to go to war with Danzo, she would not risk the safety of her people in the process. The old war-hawk had more than enough information to cripple her for some time, if not destroy the village outright.

Mei narrowed her eyes. No, she would sniff out the rat in her village, and then disassemble him.

Naruto sniffed, pulling Mei from her thoughts, "M-mizukage-sama…" Naruto said, trying to express as much respect as he could. "W-would it be possible for me to m-maybe…" Naruto blushed, clearly embarrassed by his request. "Could I join your ninja academy?"

The Godaime blinked at the kid in front of her. He already wanted to become a ninja? That was convenient.

She was not the kage of her village for nothing, though. "Why do you want to become a ninja, Naruto-kun?"

The boy smiled and looked up at her, a fake smile plastered eerily on his face. "Because I'm going to kill the man who killed my friend."

* * *

><p>Ao walked nervously beside the young blonde, who was merrily striding down the halls. He idly wondered if it was a mistake on the Mizukage's part to allow him to attend the academy.<p>

"Naruto-san, are you sure that you want to start the academy this early?" Ao said, glancing down at the blonde. "Due to some… unfortunate events in the past, we have some very strict rules in the academy, and nobody can graduate before a set year."

Naruto blinked at him. "So I'll have to attend the academy for longer than everyone else?"

Ao nodded, "Yes. The upside of this is that after you have learned the basic concepts that the academy teaches, you will be free to continue pursuing extra-curricular courses."

"Extra courses? Like what?" the blonde asked, tilting his head.

"We have taken measures to make sure that we get the best out of our shinobi without turning them into cold blooded killers." Ao said, looking at the academy in the distance. "When you enter the academy, you will take a short quiz that best assesses your preferences as a ninja. You will take this quiz annually, as to measure your capacity." The man concluded.

"Based on the results of your quiz, you will be able to choose an extra class that you focus on when you are on your own time, or you can simply take the basic courses." Ao stated, "It's completely up to you."

Naruto smiled, "What are these extra classes?"

Ao smiled back, somewhat pleased to see a real smile on his face, "Our most famous class is Kenjutsu. Promising kenjutsu students sign up to see if they qualify to potentially be one of the Seven Swordsmen."

The jinchuuriki's eyes widened, "You can be one of the seven as an academy student!"

Ao roared with laughter, holding his stomach, "Idiot! Of course not! This class only measures your potential. Nobody becomes one of the seven unless they are exceptionally gifted. The seven swordsmen are supposed to be the strongest ninja aside from the Mizukage, afterall."

The blonde just glared at the man, "Fine. What are the other classes?"

"Our two other prominent classes are for Medical Jutsu, and Fuuinjutsu." Ao explained as they entered the academy grounds.

Naruto's eyes lit up, "Fuuinjutsu? Like that thing you did to summon us here?"

The older man nodded, smiling. "I'm certainly no master at Fuuinjutsu. That seal was drawn up by the previous Mizukage." Ao glanced at the young blonde, "Fuuinjutsu is revered as the most complicated of the ninja arts, and also the most unexplored."

"Unexplored?" Naruto questioned.

"That's right. Fuuinjutsu is very difficult to master. In fact, in all of the history of the Shinobi world, only one clan became true masters of the sealing arts." Ao said, glancing down at the young Uzumaki with a grin. "Although, the clan is not very widely remembered. In fact, I think that Kirigakure and Konohagakure are the only two villages left that so much as remember the name."

Naruto blinked at the man. "What clan was it?"

Ao snickered, "You'll find out soon, Naruto-san. When you do find out, however… try and keep it private. Only a select few people in the village still remember the clan."

The boy just sighed, "Nobody ever tells me anything…"

The blue-haired man next to him chuckled and pushed the boy through the doors of the academy. "Go on, Naruto-san. Make the village proud."

Naruto turned around and gave the man a thumbs-up, "I'll make everyone recognize me! Dattebayo!"

A pair of red eyes watched the blonde from the shadows, narrowing slightly. "Don't get too cozy, Naruto-san."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright. This is it, the timeskip! I will be taking an astonishing seven year skip, bringing Naruto up to 12 years old.<strong>

**Now, I know the number one problem people are going to have with this chapter is how easily Kirigakure and the Mizukage accepted Naruto into their ranks. I'm sorry about that. I know it was rushed, and I know that it doesn't seem that great, but I'm sorry.**

**Also, on the topic of Naruto's love interest. I still haven't gotten any definitive answers on that. I'm not sure that I really want to put him with Hinata, because as people have said, it's terribly overused. Would anyone have any reservations about FemHaku, or possibly even Sakura?**

**I'd like to also state that I am quite surprised with how popular this story is becoming so quickly. Sure, I'm not getting the largest amount of reviews, but the reviews that I **_**am **_**getting are awesome, and I encourage you guys to keep it up.**

**Until next time,**

**Mash.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: An Unexpected Return**

* * *

><p>"N-no… Mizukage-sama, there has to be some other way…" a young blonde boy said as he stood in front of the desk of the Godaime Mizukage.<p>

The boy in question was wearing a dark blue flak jacket, which had the symbol of the Uzumaki clan embroidered on the back. Under the flak jacket he wore a dark-green long-sleeved shirt, and a matching pair of shorts. He had a kunai holster strapped to his calf, and then another on his opposite thigh. He had a pair of standard-shinobi blue open-toed sandals covering his feet.

"Naruto-kun… you know that if there was anything else I could do…" The Godaime said, her bright green eyes locking with the blue eyes of the Jinchuuriki in front of her.

The boy in question looked about ready to start breaking things. "I-… I can't go back there!" he yelled, his chakra fluctuating, "Do you remember what they did to me? Do you remember the remedial therapy I had to go through?"

Uzumaki Naruto gripped his chair painfully, his eyes narrowing in rage, "Three years! I spent three years talking to the same shrink!"

Mei Terumi held up her hands in a defensive gesture, "Naruto-kun… my hands are tied in this. There is nothing I can do. You originated from Konoha, and after what happened… I can't shelter you here any longer. The Daimyo is out for blood, and you are the nearest target." The Godaime folded her hands on the desk, looking at Naruto evenly. "You have been given two options. You can either leave the Land of Water, or you can be executed." It tore the woman's heart to give the blonde such an ultimatum, but she truly couldn't do anything.

"I-… I didn't mean to, Mizukage-sama! It was an accident! How was I supposed to know…" Naruto mumbled, pulling at his hair.

The Mizukage nodded, "I know you never intended for it to happen like it did, Naruto-kun… the fact remains that it did, and someone has to pay for it."

Naruto tried to keep himself in check, controlling his emotions as best as he could. Despite all of his training, he had never come to terms with Konoha, or what had happened there. "Fine! I'll leave the Land of Water… but why Konoha!" Naruto said, pleading. "Why not the Land of Wind? I know that the Kazekage would be pleased to have another Jinchuuriki!" Naruto got a bit excited, "O-or the Land of Lightning? They have two Jinchuuriki, so obviously they have nothing against them!"

The Godaime slammed her fist on the table, silencing the boy in front of her. "Naruto. If I ship you off to some other land, Konoha will not be happy." Mei looked down at the boy, "I will _not_ endanger Kirigakure no sato over one boy."

Naruto flinched and looked away.

"Genin Uzumaki Naruto, you have been relieved of your duties, and thus banished from the Land of Water until further notice." Mei said, biting her lip.

Naruto looked like he wanted to cry, but he kept his face straight, before pulling at the cloth that held his Hitai-ate to his head. He gently set the slab of metal on the desk of his- former- kage, looking in despair at the four lines that adorned it.

"I had really wanted to prove myself to someone." He said, tracing one of the lines. "Chojuro has already proven himself skilled enough to be a contender for one of the Seven Swordsmen positions… but what about me?" he asked, looking up at Mei.

The kage in question smiled and put a hand on the shoulder of the Jinchuuriki, "Uzumaki Naruto, you came to Kirigakure as a broken little boy. You leave Kirigakure as one of the top Genin in his generation, second only to Chojuro." The woman smiled at the blonde boy, before ruffling his hair, "You've proven yourself to every last person in this village. They will never forget you."

Naruto blushed as the red-headed woman pulled him into a hug. It was not a secret that the Mizukage had a soft spot for him and Chojuro, but nonetheless he felt awkward when someone of such high authority was so intimate with him. It almost reminded him of…

A flashing memory of Sarutobi Hiruzen's bloody face smiling as he held up the severed head of Haruno Kaiza made Naruto tense up, and nearly scream, startling the woman who was hugging him.

"Naruto-kun?" Mei asked, recognizing the fleeting visage of terror that had occupied the boy's normally happy face.

"N-nothing…" he replied, looking ashamed.

Mei smiled grimly, "It was Hiruzen again, wasn't it?" She had long learned of all of Naruto's highly irrational fears. They were left-over mental scars from the genjutsu that had ravaged his mind as a child.

The boy nodded, rubbing his arm. There were only two people that he opened up to in this village; Mei Terumi, who had done an excellent job of providing for the boy, and Chojuro, who had been Naruto's closest friend during his stay in Kiri.

"Naruto-kun, you know as well as I do that it was only a genjutsu." Mei explained, "I've met Hiruzen many times, and never has he ever demonstrated a capacity for evil of that magnitude- or any evil at all, for that matter." She said, rubbing his back. "Sarutobi Hiruzen is by far the most forgiving and benevolent kage, and one of the most pacifistic people I have ever had the joy of meeting."

The Jinchuuriki nodded, ashamed of himself. "I- I know, Mizukage-sama. I… I can't control the fear. It consumes me." The boy admitted. "I've killed prisoners, bandits, and even the occasional shinobi… but nothing terrifies me more than… Jiji." Naruto said, choking back a sob as he uttered the endearing nickname.

Mei flinched and gently rubbed the blonde's shoulder. She knew that Hiruzen had been one of Naruto's only friends in Konoha, and the genjutsu had effectively destroyed their relationship. The Godaime had absolutely no doubt that this was all part of whatever master plan Danzo had hatched.

The blonde boy's ear twitched and he quickly straightened himself out as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs of the Mizukage tower.

Naruto had just finished rubbing the tears from his eyes as Ao and Chojuro knocked on the door before letting themselves in. Naruto swore that he would never let himself cry in front of Ao and Chojuro if he could help it. He was close to both of them, but he still didn't like them seeing him in such a vulnerable position.

Ao looked about the same as ever, but the blue-haired Genin next to him had changed a lot during the seven year period. Chojuro wore a vest-like item on his chest that had his village's plaque sewn on it, and a striped blue shirt underneath it. He had a pair of brown and white camouflage-style pants and with a kunai holster strapped to either thigh. He had a heavy ninjato strapped to his back, but Chojuro had often fantasized of using the mighty sword Hiramekarai.

There was an awkward silence as Naruto sullenly glanced at the two of them, who both wore equally somber expressions.

Chojuro stepped forward, and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm going to miss you, Naruto-kun." The mist Genin said. Naruto nodded and looked away, "I'll miss you too, Chojuro."

"I know it was an accident, Naruto-kun. They shouldn't make you leave because of something like-" Chojuro said, before Naruto held up a hand.

"No. It was my mistake. I need to be held accountable." The blonde said glumly, his eyes devoid of their usual light. He held up a small scroll and smiled. "Remember that project I've been working on? I managed to finish it."

The blonde boy tossed the scroll to his closest friend, "That's a miniature reverse-summoning scroll. It's not capable of moving organic objects, but we can write to each other through it." Naruto said, holding up the corresponding scroll.

Chojuro looked up at the boy in confusion, "_You_ made this?" he asked in disbelief.

Naruto snorted, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I happen to be the most proficient Genin in the village when it comes to sealing, Chojuro!"

The other boy just blinked in disbelief, "Yeah, but this is on a whole other level, Naruto-kun. I can't even begin to grasp sealing like you can."

Ao shot Naruto a look, but the boy needed no reminding. He knew exactly why he had always taken to sealing faster than anyone else. He was an Uzumaki. They were revered as the masters of the sealing arts. The proficiency ran in his blood. The proficiency was also why the Uzumaki clan was nearly exterminated. The power of sealing was an enticing one, but also a threatening one that not just anyone could control.

"Now, the scroll isn't very complex, and at this point in time I can only make it able to hold one object at a time." Naruto gestured to a circle in the middle of the scroll. "When that circle is completely filled in with black ink, it means that there's an object waiting to be unsealed."

Chojuro nodded, adjusting his glasses. "This is impressive work, Naruto-kun. You may not be able to beat me in a full-out fight yet, but if you get better at sealing, then you'll have me beat in no time."

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head, before glancing at Ao.

The man looked at Naruto with a gaze that was a mix of disappointment and sorrow. "Ao…" Naruto started, "You know that it was an accident, right?" Naruto bit his lip.

"Naruto… if I thought it was anything other than an accident I would have killed you already." Ao warned, "I'm just disappointed that it was allowed to happen."

Naruto bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Ao."

"Don't apologize to me, Naruto." The man said, a bit more coldly than he had intended.

The blonde boy flinched, looking down at the ground in shame. Ao smiled and patted the Jinchuuriki's shoulder. "You've made me proud nonetheless, Naruto." The blue-haired man said, "You're going to knock those Konoha dogs flat on their asses."

Naruto smiled weakly and gave the man a strong handshake.

The Godaime smiled at the exchange between the old friends. "Naruto-kun, we have the summoning seal prepared for you. We'll be providing the chakra necessary for the summoning, so you'll be fresh when you reach the border."

Naruto nodded, "Will it be the same port from back then?"

Mei smiled and nodded, "It will. However, Ao won't be there this time… so please don't try and blow anything up, Naruto-kun."

The blonde pre-teen smiled at the Mizukage. "Hai, Mizukage-sama." He said, bowing.

Naruto gulped and slowly stepped into the middle of the seal that was imprinted on the floor of the Mizukage's office.

His three friends took their respective positions in a triangular formation around him, their hands pressed to the seal.

Their respective chakra began molding, and Naruto felt himself churn as he felt the Mizukage's chakra spike to ridiculous levels, dwarfing his own. "Show them how a real ninja gets the job done, Naruto-kun." Mei said, smiling as her hair whipped wildly around her.

Naruto nodded, and glanced down at his body. It was beginning to shine with a faint blue light as the seal took effect. He could vaguely begin feeling the pull on his being. "Good bye, guys. I hope we meet again, soon." The boy said, before a blinding white flash erupted around him, and a poof of smoke shot up.

The blinding light gradually died down, and Naruto resisted the urge to vomit as his body spun around violently. He felt like he was going to be pulled apart. As the light finally faded, so did the obnoxious spinning, leaving a disorientated Naruto staring at the docks from the very same hill that he had vanished from 7 years ago.

Naruto sighed, looking down at the grass he was standing on. For the first time in almost a decade, he was back in the Land of Fire.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed as he signed yet another form. He had never been able to figure out Minato's trick, but the man had been able to get the work done in a quarter of the time. Hiruzen suspected cheating.<p>

Hiruzen sighed again as he felt a presence appear by his window. "Stopping by so soon, Jiraiya?"

The man in question laughed before flipping himself into the office, landing in front of the desk. "You almost sound as if you don't enjoy my visits, sensei."

The older ninja smirked, "You were such a troublesome brat before. Why would I look forward to such torturous encounters?" the kage laughed, making Jiraiya sweatdrop.

"Sensei… that's not nice!" the sannin wailed overdramatically.

Hiruzen snorted, "Oh please. I'm not paid to be nice, Jiraiya." He straightened up and took a drag from his pipe, "I would assume however, that you have something important to relay? You rarely make your reports in person."

"He's back on the grid, sensei." Jiraiya said, looking at his mentor with a dead-serious expression.

Hiruzen stiffened and channeled his chakra, subtly activating the seals laid out through his office. These particular seals were of Minato's design, and blocked all outgoing sound. "You've found Naruto-kun?" the kage breathed, feeling his heart rate speed up.

"He passed through the Land of Water port, and then stayed the night at a small village about half a day's travel down the road." Jiraiya said. "Judging from his direction and clothing, I'd say that he's been hiding out in the Land of Water."

The Sandaime frowned, "I thought you searched through the Land of Water."

"I did, sensei. I scoured every last island, and turned over every port I could find." Jiraiya replied. "However, we both know that there was one place that I couldn't get into."

The old kage groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're telling me that he's been in Kirigakure for the last seven years, Jiraiya?"

The Sandaime's student nodded, "There's something else, sensei…" he began, "He doesn't wear a hitai-ate, but the way he walks, and the equipment he has suggests that he has had ninja training."

Hiruzen growled, "Jiraiya, I want to know everything. Furthermore, I want a meeting with the Godaime Mizukage." The old man bristled, "I will not have Kiri abducting my civilians."

Jiraiya backed up slightly, his teacher's killer intent scaring him somewhat, "Ah, sensei… perhaps we should ask Naruto what happened first."

This got the kage's attention. "What?" he asked, "How will we contact him?"

"We won't have to." Jiraiya said, "He's making a bee-line for Konoha."

The elder kage sighed and released a puff of smoke, "Very well. Be prepared to move out, however. If I don't get sufficient information from the boy, I _will_ be having a chat with the Mizukage." Hiruzen said threateningly. "When will Naruto-kun arrive in Konoha?"

Jiraiya looked up and tapped his chin, making calculations from his mental map.

"Hmmm… well, assuming that he doesn't make any pro-longed stops, he should be here in about two days." Jiraiya said.

Hiruzen's breath hitched slightly, alerting his student. "We… may have a situation." Sarutobi said, shuffling through some papers. "We actually have a team out of the village right now. They will be coming back in approximately the same time he will…"

Jiraiya quirked an eyebrow, "Which team is it?"

* * *

><p>Hyuuga Neji sighed in contempt as he eyed his enthusiastic teammate who was currently walking around on his knuckles. Rock Lee was possibly one of the most annoying people in the village.<p>

"Yosh! Today we will express our youthfulness by doing a full lap around the village before returning home!" cried a voice from the nearby forest.

Rock Lee was the most annoying… right next to his sensei.

"Dynamic Entry!" The man cried as he burst through the underbrush, his foot connecting with Lee's back. The Genin in question cried out, before being thrown- rather painfully- into a tree.

"Lee!" His sensei, Maito Gai cried, "You were not being youthful enough in your physical exercises!" the man yelled, pointing at Neji, "Your teammate was not motivated to join you!"

Neji's eye twitched, begging silently that TenTen would hurry up and get back already. She usually was able to get the two to at least quiet down. "Don't get me involved in this." Neji mumbled.

The Hyuuga glanced down to where TenTen had gone looking for wood. Despite being so close to home, Neji knew that it was foolish to lower your guard.

"Byakugan!" The boy announced, the veins around his eyes becoming more pronounced as his doujutsu activated. Neji saw TenTen alright, who was heading back with a bundle of logs for the fire, but he also saw the unidentified male who was watching her from the shadows. Neji admitted that he probably would not have been able to see the boy without his activated Byakugan.

The Hyuuga cursed and bolted forward, not bothering to explain the situation to his teammates. He hoped that they would take the hint that something was wrong.

To the Hyuuga's amazement, the boy's eyes flicked in his direction shortly after Neji started moving. Due to the tree cover, the boy couldn't have seen him. Could he have heard him from all the way over there?

TenTen looked rather shocked to see him, but soon became serious after she saw his eyes. "Neji… what's-"

The whistle of a kunai made the girl's ear twitch, and she immediately turned to catch the knife that was now flying towards her. A poof of smoke exploded from the knife, and suddenly a young blonde boy was flying out of the smoke instead of the kunai. Neji snarled and did a 180, his hand flying towards the boy's exposed back.

Neji's eyes widened as the boy substituted himself yet again, leaving Neji's hand flying towards the astonished TenTen. Neji hit the brakes and pulled his hand back, stopping centimeters from TenTen's face.

"Can we calm down, now?" a voice asked from above.

Neji didn't need to turn around to see where the boy was. He was hanging off of a tree branch with his feet, looking down at them with a guarded expression.

"You attacked my teammate." Neji stated, "It is not us who needs to calm down."

The boy shrugged, "I didn't attack your teammate. I made you pause in your attack against me, Hyuuga."

Neji frowned, detecting no lie on the blonde's face. "Well, why were you following her?" Neji asked, pointing to TenTen, who was holding a kunai dangerously.

"I was merely observing." The boy said. "I was planning on taking a wide path around your camp and continue on to Konoha."

Again, Neji couldn't detect even the slightest twitch in the boy's body that might indicate a lie. He was telling the truth. "Why are you going to Konoha?" the Hyuuga questioned.

"I've been ordered to." The boy said simply. Neji still couldn't detect a lie, but he could tell that this was a touchy subject for the blonde kid in front of him.

"For what purpose?" Neji demanded, "Surely there must be a rea-"

The blonde's eyes flicked back towards the camp, and a cry echoed through the forest that made Neji groan.

"Dynamic Entry!" Rock Lee cried as he flew through the brush, rapidly approaching the young blonde with his foot extended. Neji saw the blonde's eyes widen in surprise at Lee's speed, before spending straight backwards, barely avoiding the foot.

"Hey! Cool it-" the blonde began, before raising his arms to block the spinning kick that Lee launched. The boy groaned as Lee's kick impacted his arm.

"Lee!" cried the one voice that Neji was rarely glad to hear.

Maito Gai stood on the branch above Lee and the blonde, looking down at the two disapprovingly.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee cried, "Let me prove my youthfulness to you!"

Lee quickly dropped down and attempted to sweep the blonde's legs out from under him. A poof of smoke enveloped them, and Neji saw Gai move quickly to intercept his student's attack.

As the smoke died down, TenTen gasped, and even Neji was somewhat impressed. Lee's leg was held in the iron grip of Maito Gai, centimeters away from the blade of a ninjato that was buried in the branch of the tree that they were sitting on. The blonde was perched on the hilt of the ninjato, carefully balancing himself.

"Bummer." The blonde mumbled, "I can't say that I've ever gotten anyone to chop their own leg off before."

Gai frowned at the blonde kid, "That is a very unyouthful tactic… Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyebrows rose in surprise, "I didn't expect many people to remember me." He said, "Besides, there is no such thing as cheating in the ninja world, Gai."

"Naruto-kun." Gai said, helping Lee to his feet. "I'm going to have to escort you the rest of the way to Konoha."

"We're taking him with us?" TenTen asked in disbelief. "He could have killed me!"

Naruto shrugged, "Fine. Take me with." He glanced over at TenTen, "It's unlikely that I would have killed you. You could have easily caught or deflected the knife, and going into close-range combat with a Hyuuga is tantamount to suicide." He muttered, glancing at Neji. "You have a very well balanced team."

"How do you know as much as you do about the Hyuuga?" Neji questioned, looking expectantly at the blonde.

"I visit a library weekly." Naruto said, smirking. "Seriously, Hyuuga. You are well known across the shinobi nations. Anyone who doesn't know about the Byakugan would have to be seriously uninformed."

Neji just huffed and looked away.

"Pack up the camp, kids." Gai stated, "Typically, I would take more time to allow for you to regain your youthful energies, but this is an emergency."

This caught TenTen's attention, "Emergency?" she asked. "What's the big deal with this kid?"

Gai shook his head, "I'm not authorized to tell you. Perhaps Hokage-sama will tell you when we go to see him."

Naruto tensed up at the mention of the title, an action that did not go unnoticed by Neji or his sensei.

Gai put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Let's go. We can make it to Konoha by dusk if we travel quickly."

Naruto just sighed and looked in the direction of Konoha, frowning. Things were already not going according to plan.

* * *

><p>Trees flashed by the blonde as his weary eyes flicked back and forth, taking in his surroundings. The walls of Konoha loomed just ahead, and he was battling every last fear he had by just continuing to dash forward.<p>

Naruto noticed Neji continuously shooting him glances. He didn't know what the Hyuuga's problem was, but he was about ready to crack his skull open.

"What village are you from?" the Hyuuga suddenly blurted out.

Ah. So that was it. "I don't belong to any village right now." Naruto said simply.

"You got your training from somewhere." Neji asserted, scrutinizing the blonde.

"That's correct." Naruto retorted, yawning.

An awkward silence floated between the two, "Well?" Neji insisted, glaring at Naruto.

"Well, what?" Naruto asked, smiling slightly.

"Are you going to tell me where you got your training, or aren't you?" Neji finally asked.

Naruto just sighed, "Are you going to tell me why it's any of your business?" he replied, shrugging.

The Hyuuga fumed, but contained himself. "As a Konoha shinobi-"

"As a Konoha _Genin_, you have no business knowing my business." Naruto said, quickly growing bored with the conversation. "Nor do I have to answer to you. I will comply with your…" Naruto paused, "Hokage… as well as your Jounin, but no other ninja will get a word from my mouth."

Neji caught the pause, pondering what about the Hokage was upsetting the blonde boy.

The Hyuuga decided to put it at the back of his mind as they approached the gates. It simply wasn't worth it.

Gai jerked his thumb at Naruto as they approached the gate guards. "Team Gai returning from its mission with one addition."

The guard looked rather bored, "Client, civilian or ninja?" he drawled out, looking at the blonde boy.

"Ninja." Gai stated.

"From which village?" the guard asked, tensing.

"Classified." Gai replied.

The guard nodded, "Fine. However, we'll need to call an ANBU squad to escort him to the Hokage." He glanced at Gai and his team. "The residing Jounin may travel with him, but you Genin need to be on with your business."

Though none of the Genin were pleased by being dismissed, they each nodded and went off their separate ways, leaving Naruto, Gai and the guard.

The blonde sighed as he looked around the village. It hadn't changed at all since he had left.

"Is this the kid?" a voice asked. Naruto jumped and jerked his head up, having not noticed the three ANBU who had appeared on the building next to the gate guard's.

"Hai." The guard drawled.

"Please come with us." The ANBU asked, looking at Naruto. "We are going to escort you to the Hokage, where you situation will be analyzed and dealt with."

The Jinchuuriki agreed, jumping up next to the ANBU. "Lead the way." He mumbled, though he knew exactly the quickest path to take to the kage tower.

The trip didn't take them long, and Naruto's heart began pounding faster and faster as they got progressively closer to the looming tower.

To Naruto's surprise, they did not drop down to the street to take the main-entrance into the tower. Instead, they landed on a ledge that was next to a window that looked into the Hokage's office. Naruto's heart rate skyrocketed as he saw the figure sitting behind the desk. He was wearing his kage hat, and subtly gestured to the window.

The ANBU, who Naruto noticed was wearing a Dog mask, slid the window open and climbed inside, allowing his teammates and Naruto to climb in as well.

Naruto's blood ran cold as he took in the features of the man who had haunted his dreams for so long. His heart nearly stopped as the man in question took off the kage hat, revealing the kind, gentle face of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Hello again, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen said, smiling gently at the young blonde in front of him. His brows knitted together as he saw the look of horror on the blonde's face. Hiruzen had rarely come into contact with people who experienced true terror, and Naruto was most certainly experiencing a fear that went beyond the norm.

"H-h-hokag-ge-sama" Naruto managed to stutter, his face completely pale as he resisted screaming and running away. His mind kept flashing with memories of Hiruzen… lips bloodied with the life of his former sensei, Kaiza… all the while holding up his severed head.

"Naruto-kun…" Hiruzen said, "What's wrong?"

Naruto took a step back, his heart pounding in his chest. The ANBU who was wear the dog mask studied him intensely, before silently making a gesture across the room.

Naruto noticed the gesture, and spun around to try and reach the door, but a man appeared in front of him, his hands held out in front of him in an odd seal. The man had long blonde hair with light blue eyes.

"Shintenshin no jutsu."(Mind-Body Switch Technique) The man muttered, locking eyes with the blonde.

Naruto could do absolutely nothing as he felt a force violently enter his mind. He felt a pinch in his mind, before everything faded to black.

* * *

><p>Hiruzen sighed as the blonde collapsed in the arms of the Dog ANBU.<p>

Inoichi was sitting in a crouched position, his hands still in the Yamanaka Seal as he used his advanced version of the Mind-Body Switch. Hiruzen had always suspected that there might have been some psychological damage done to Naruto, as well as possibly some form of indoctrination from Kiri. Hiruzen wanted Inoichi to take a look into the boy's mind and check for anything that might match the description.

After seeing Naruto's sudden, intense fear, Hiruzen knew that his suspicions were confirmed. That was not a naturally generated fear. It tended to stem from extreme trauma caused by a powerful genjutsu.

Though the elder kage would never admit it, it would appear that Danzo had been correct. All evidence now pointed towards the Uchiha clan. The only problem, of course, was that the Uchiha clan had been all but exterminated for more than four years.

"Kakashi, put him on the couch." Hiruzen ordered towards the dog mask ANBU.

Kakashi nodded and complied, before removing his mask, revealing the second mask that covered the bottom half of his face underneath it. "You think it's genjutsu scarring as well, Hokage-sama?" he asked.

The older ninja nodded. "Without a doubt."

A cough erupted from Inoichi, and he fell backward, supporting himself up with his hands as he looked wearily at the blonde boy on the couch.

"Well?" Hiruzen asked, looking at the Yamanaka.

"I have good news and bad news." Inoichi stated, brushing off his clothes.

"The bad news?" The Sandaimed asked.

Inoichi frowned, "The bad news is that you were correct. The boy's mind was ravaged at a very young age by a genjutsu. However…" Inoichi replied, pausing, "This was no ordinary genjutsu. Judging by the boy's fuzzy memories of the attack on himself and his sensei… it was an Uchiha."

"You're positive?" Sarutobi asked, his brows knitted.

"Not completely. It happened so long ago that the details are blurred… but I'm 80% positive that it was." The Yamanaka replied.

Hiruzen sighed loudly, rubbing his temples. "Hokage-sama… there was one more bit of bad news." Inoichi said, looking awkwardly at his leader.

The aged kage nodded for the man to continue. "Well… I looked at the content of the genjutsu… and I was able to figure out why Naruto was so scared of you." The blonde man said, frowning. "It's a rather disturbing image."

The Sandaime frowned, "Disturbing you say?"

"Yes…" Inoichi was clearly nervous. "The genjutsu… it showed you holding the decapitated head of Haruno Kaiza."

Hiruzen groaned. There was no wonder that the boy was so terrified.

"Alright… What about the good news?" Hiruzen asked, glancing at the Yamanaka.

Inoichi managed to smile, "The good news is that not only can I repair the damage that the genjutsu has caused, but I discovered that Naruto has received no indoctrination of any sort from Kirigakure. Almost none of his memories were inaccessible, and the ones that were, were most likely block off by himself."

The elder ninja let out a sigh as he sat in his chair. "Finally, some good news." He looked at the Yamanaka head. "Inoichi, I want you to work on repairing the mental scarring as best as you can." Sarutobi ordered. "Also, I want to know why Naruto left Kirigakure and came here."

Inoichi rubbed his head, "I can do that Hokage-sama… but you should know that the factor that caused Naruto to leave Kirigakure was something that he blocked off. It could be… hazardous to force my way in." the blonde man said, "However, I can tell you that he did not want to leave. He was forced."

The Sandaime just sighed again. "Very well. Do the best job that you are able to. When you are finished, wake the boy. I want to talk to him."

Inoichi nodded and began working on the Jinchuuriki. Hiruzen subtly gave the ANBU permission to leave, to which they complied.

Looking out the window, the man sighed heavily. What a day.

* * *

><p><strong>Hmmm... what is this mysterious event that caused Naruto's banishment? Fret not. That will not be kept in the dark for very much longer.<strong>

**You may notice that this chapter is longer, and considerably better written than previous chapters. I'll admit that I was kind of rushing to this point. From here on out, I'll be putting in my best effort to give you well-written, well thought-out chapters.**

**Remember to review, folks. I really enjoy your reviews, so long as they hold some form of constructive criticism, if the review is a complaint.**

**Until next time, **

**Mash.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Reunions

* * *

><p>Naruto sat in his mindscape, huddled in the corner of the sewer as he waited for whatever presence was in his mind to finish doing whatever it was doing.<p>

He had spent a hefty portion of time battling the presence, trying to knock it out of his mind. However, the presence was always in control, and he could never dislodge it.

The blonde had even asked his tenant to assist him in relieving his mind from the intruder, but the Kyuubi had insisted that the presence was doing them a favor.

"**Still moping, gaki?"** the beast said from its cage, looking at Naruto with disdain.

"I've been trapped inside my own head for who knows how long. Why wouldn't I be moping?" the blonde snapped back, fuming.

The demon chuckled, **"I guess you understand the feeling now, brat. Just multiply this experience over the course of 12 years, and suddenly you've been in here as long as me." ** It rumbled.

Naruto didn't respond. He was in no mood to talk to the Kyuubi.

The demon had promised Naruto many times that it would escape its prison and rip Naruto a new one in the process… but Naruto had faith in the seal that was containing it. He had studied the seal numerous times, but had never been able to even get a faint grasp of how it worked. It truly was a masterpiece.

Even though he had been miserably since the presence invaded his mind, Naruto couldn't help but feel… at ease. He had gradually begun to feel more relaxed and at peace in general.

Furthermore, he had noticed that the thoughts and feelings that had once lived at the forefront of his mind, like the genjutsu from so long ago, had gradually begun to fade. He could still remember them clearly, and could still remember the fear they caused him… but it was almost as if he was looking at an event that happened to another person.

He could understand his fear from before, and he understood why he had felt that way… but he no longer saw how it could apply to him.

Of course, this had all been a very gradual process. He had also noticed that the Kyuubi of all things had changed somewhat as well. The demon used to be very stressed, as if it were living the same fears as him. However, now the demon seemed calm. Almost peaceful.

Naruto shook the thought from his head. That was nonsense. Demons didn't experience fear.

Naruto's attention was drawn as he felt the presence very gradually begin to withdraw. It started removing its hold on his mind.

The blonde's eyes flicked open as his forced sleep ended, and his hand immediately went to his kunai holster. Upon realizing it wasn't there, Naruto rolled off of the couch he had been set on, ducking into a defensive crouch as he took in his surroundings.

The blonde man from before was kneeling next to the couch. He looked pale, and he was breathing raggedly. Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Were you the one inside my head?" Naruto asked, scrutinizing the man.

"That's right." He answered, still breathing rather heavily, "And the job would have gone a lot quicker, and a lot smoother if you hadn't spent half of the time attacking me, Naruto."

"Don't blame the boy, Inoichi." An aged voice from another part of the room said. "He was just defending himself from a potential foe."

Naruto glanced over to the desk in the Hokage's office. He bit his lip as he looked over the old man… but no wave of fear took over his body. Naruto blinked and assessed his own emotions. He was apprehensive and a bit wary… but not terrified. He wasn't paralyzed with fear anymore.

"I'm glad to see that you aren't afraid of me anymore, Naruto-kun." The Sandaime said from behind his desk, smiling at the boy.

"H-how?" Naruto managed to squeak out. "I spent three years in therapy… I could never…"

The blonde man spoke up, filling in for the kage. "The fear you were experiencing was artificial. It was caused by trauma from a genjutsu that was cast on you as a child. No therapy would have resolved it." Inoichi tapped his forehead, "I went into your mind to fix the damage."

The blonde was immediately overridden with guilt as he listened to Inoichi. "I-I'm sorry." Naruto mumbled, glancing at the man. "I didn't know."

The Yamanaka only chuckled, "Well, you acted about as normally as I would expect you to."

"Naruto-kun." Hiruzen said. Though he spoke the name gently, both Naruto and Inoichi could feel the underlying authority.

The boy glanced at the aged kage, lowering his eyes somewhat. Sarutobi smiled gently, with a touch of sorrow mixed in.

"Naruto-kun…" the aged man repeated, "Who was it that attacked you all those years ago?"

The boy's stomach twisted painfully as a flash of his old sensei flashed through his mind. He bit back a sob; he was a shinobi now, he had to damn well act like one. "I…" Naruto stammered, holding back the tears, "I didn't recognize his face. I only saw it for a second… but the eyes…"

Naruto shuddered as he remembered those blood-red orbs, each dotted with three tomoe. "He had the Sharingan." Naruto affirmed, biting his lip. During his studies in the academy, Naruto had nearly burst into tears every time he saw the depictions of the wicked eyes in his textbooks.

Hiruzen frowned. So Danzo's assessment had been correct. However… it all seemed a little too convenient. An Uchiha member drives Naruto out of the village for apparently no reason, and just a few years afterwards, the entire clan is exterminated before an investigation can be initiated. Furthermore, Danzo was one of the four individuals who had approved of the extermination. The old kage just sighed and inhaled a drag of his pipe; he was getting too old for this crap.

But… there was one person unaccounted for. "Naruto-kun…" Hiruzen asked, "The Uchiha who attacked you… how old did he appear to be?"

Naruto frowned. "Well… I didn't get a great look…"

"Was he a child?" The Sandaime asked.

"No." Naruto replied. "He was… at least in his thirties… probably…"

So it couldn't have been Itachi. That was a relief.

"Naruto-kun" Hiruzen said, speaking up. "I am obligated by law and protocol to get some answers pertaining to your absence." The Sarutobi said, watching for any type of movement that would suggest fear or apprehension. He saw none. "If you do not provide the answers willingly… we will have to retrieve them through Inoichi-san."

Naruto nodded, well aware of information protocol. "I will answer every question to the best of my ability… Jiji." Naruto's stomach flipped somewhat at the usage of the old nickname.

Hiruzen smiled as well. He still cared for the young blonde very much, and was enormously relieved that he would not have to retrieve any information by force.

"Firstly, Naruto-kun… did the Mizukage know where you were from?" The Sandaime asked.

"How did you…?" Naruto started, but Hiruzen cut him off by raising a hand.

"Nobody passes through the Land of Fire without my knowing, Naruto-kun, and the port you arrived in suggested that you came from the Land of Water. I've had agents searching all over the Land of Water. The only place I was unable to search was Kirigakure." The elderly ninja explained, waving his head. "Now, answer the question, please."

Naruto nodded in response. "I told her my origin shortly after my arrival."

"Why did she not contact me?" The elderly kage asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

"Because I asked her not to." Naruto stated, looking away in shame.

The Sandaime's heart twisted at Naruto's words. "I… The genjutsu is what did it, Jiji…" Naruto stammered, "I was so terrified of Konoha… I just-"

"It's quite alright, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen stated. "Inoichi described the trauma to your mind to me, and I am not at all surprised that you did not want to return."

"Second question," the Sandaime said, "Did you become a ninja willingly, or because of influence from Kiri?" Hiruzen already knew the answer to this, but he had to ask the question regardless.

"I had been wanting to be a ninja even before I left, Jiji." Naruto said, smiling. He hooked a finger under his flak jacket, emphasizing the piece of clothing. "I finally fulfilled that goal."

"How advanced is your training?" came the next question.

"Mizukage-sama said that I was approximately mid-to-high Genin in any given scenario." Naruto answered. "However, under the right conditions, I could potentially defeat an inexperienced Chuunin."

"Right conditions?" The aged ninja asked.

"I specialize in the silent killing technique, Jiji." Naruto said. "I took extra-curricular courses that emphasized stealth and sound recognition."

Hiruzen's eyebrows rose somewhat. "So your skills of perception must be above par, yes?"

"That's right." Naruto responded, "My hearing is well beyond what the average ninja can accomplish, though the Mizukage mostly attributed that to the Kyuubi's influence."

The temperature dropped rapidly, and Naruto froze as he saw the deadly look on the Sandaime's face. "How do you know of the Kyuubi, Naruto?"

Naruto's blood ran cold, and that old fear crept back into his mind somewhat, but he was able to push it back this time. Naruto bit his lip. This was a topic that he wouldn't be able to lie about. He just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite his former home.

"Ao saw traces of the Kyuubi's chakra in my coils, as well as the chakra system of the seal on my stomach." Naruto stated, silently hoping that this would work out.

"He 'saw' it?" The third said, his voice holding a dangerous undertone. "Naruto-kun, how did this 'Ao' _see_ your chakra pathways?"

Naruto's breathing hitched a bit, which did not go unnoticed by the kage. "He… he has the Byakugan." Naruto stammered.

To the blonde's surprise, the old man simply sighed before slumping in his chair.

"H-hokage-sama?" Naruto asked tentatively.

"My apologies, Naruto-kun. I'm just relieved that you didn't lie." The older man said.

Naruto blinked, thrown off by the casual answer. "You aren't curious about why Ao has the Byakugan?"

The third just shrugged, "Even if I was, what could I do about it, Naruto-kun?" he sighed again, "It's reasonable to assume that he won it in battle. I'll bring it up with the Mizukage the next time I see her." The elderly man said.

He glanced back at the blonde boy, "Naruto… about the Kyuubi… you realize that you are not the demon, correct?"

To his surprise, the blonde boy snorted with a laugh. "Are you kidding, Jiji? Of course I know I'm not the Kyuubi!" the boy chuckled. "When you seal a kunai in a scroll, does the scroll magically become the kunai? Of course not!"

Hiruzen smiled. Naruto had certainly changed- perhaps for the better- but it was still the same old Naruto. "Back to the topic of your skills assessment, Naruto-kun…" Hiruzen paused, wondering how to go about this. "How many ninja are in this room right now?"

Hiruzen currently had three ANBU in the room, as well as a spectator. He wanted to see how advanced Naruto's skills of perception really were. The elder kage watched as Naruto's breathing slowed. The blonde went absolutely silent as his ears flicked somewhat, listening for the slightest sounds.

After a minute, the blonde sighed and opened his eyes. "Aside from you and me, I could only hear the breathing of one other person, Jiji."

Naruto jerked his finger at a corner near the door. "You've got a mouth-breather in that corner."

Hiruzen nearly gagged on his pipe as a sputtering laugh burst from his lips.

"Mouth-breather huh, Uzumaki-chan?" purred an all-too familiar voice from said corner.

Naruto's breathe hitched as a purple serpent slithered across his shoulder, its tongue flicking his cheek. "L-long time no see, Anko." Naruto murmured, looking in apprehension at the snake that was eyeing him hungrily.

"Put the snake away, Anko." Hiruzen commanded, not liking at all where this was going. The kage was impressed, though. Naruto was unable to detect the ANBU, but he was able to detect the junior Jounin.

The kunoichi pouted, before dismissing the summon. "You're no fun, Hokage-sama."

"I'm not your personal entertainment, Anko." The kage said, chuckling at the look on Naruto's face.

"Anko was here to supervise your interview, Naruto-kun. Normally I would have had Ibiki here, but he's currently attending a… client." The kage said, smiling somewhat.

"That's right, gaki." Anko said, smiling. "While you were off at Sea World, I joined the Torture and Interrogation squad!"

The blonde looked like he wanted to say something to piss off the kunoichi, so Hiruzen quickly spoke up. "Naruto-kun. Your hearing is quite impressive." Hiruzen looked at him critically, "Do your other senses behave the same way?"

"No." Naruto said. "My eyesight is normal, and my sense of smell is perhaps slightly above par." The blonde smiled, "Hence why I only do well under the right conditions."

"Why did you only train in sound recognition, then?" the Sandaime asked.

"It's part of my style." Naruto shrugged.

The Sarutobi nodded. Normally he would have pressed for more information, but he didn't feel that it was necessary.

"How long have you been a Genin, Naruto-kun?" the elder ninja asked.

Naruto tapped his chin, "Well… probably about six months now. Kiri graduates classes twice a year, rather than once a year like is the case in most villages." Naruto said.

"You are aware then, that a new class of students will be graduating from the Konoha academy, correct?" Hiruzen asked, gauging the blonde's reaction.

"You want me to be instated as a Konoha ninja?" Naruto asked, surprised.

Hiruzen nodded. "I know an asset when I see one, Naruto. You are already an accomplished shinobi."

Naruto frowned, glancing up at the man he had once seen as a grandfather. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is that I want you to tell me why you left Kirigakure, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen stated, not interested in mincing words.

Naruto sighed and looked away, his eyes becoming downcast. "I have to?" Naruto asked.

Hiruzen nodded. "I need to know for sure why you left, Naruto-kun."

* * *

><p>Hiruzen sighed and slumped back in his chair as Naruto was escorted from the room. Anko smirked and saluted to the Hokage before disappearing in a burst of smoke, her job complete. "Are you prepared for this, Kakashi?"<p>

A shadow in the corner of the room formed itself into the shape of a tall man with light grey hair that seemed to defy gravity. He had on a mask that covered the bottom half of his face, as well as a hitai-ate that covered one of his eyes.

"You know that I'm not sensei material, Hokage-sama." Hatake Kakashi said blandly, glancing at the door that Naruto had exited.

"You're one of the greatest prodigies that the hidden leaf has ever seen. I don't want to hear that." Sarutobi replied, taking a drag from his pipe.

Kakashi sighed, "So he will be paired with the Uchiha, correct? Who will the third be?"

The Sandaime tapped his chin, rustling through some papers. "Well, considering that the two are both exceptionally skilled physically… perhaps someone who needs more physical development, but has the mental capacity to keep balance."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to give them the deadlast of the year?" Kakashi asked, glancing down the sheet.

"Normally, yes. However, the dead last of this year is Shikamaru Nara. The Shika-Ino-Chou parents would throw a fit if I put him on this team." Hiruzen explained, shuffling through more papers, "Plus there's the fact that teams typically consist of two males and a female."

Hiruzen glanced over a name, his eyes narrowing. Kakashi followed his gaze, "Haruno Sakura, hmm? Seems like a nearly perfect match, Hokage-sama."

"A perfect match indeed." The Sarutobi mumbled, scrolling over her portfolio.

"You're worried that there might be some hostility because her uncle died protecting Naruto?" Kakashi guessed.

"No." The aged ninja said. "I don't suspect that there will be any hostility. Rather, I think Naruto will go out of his way to help and protect Sakura. The feeling may even be mutual."

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't that a good thing? Teamwork is crucial to any team, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen nodded, "And if it were only that, I wouldn't mind."

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Naruto's going to hate the Uchiha."

"That's exactly right, Kakashi. Prior to Inoichi's intervention, Naruto's trauma probably would have either driven him to fear Sasuke as much as he did me, or to kill him." The kage replied, "Now, though… Naruto harbors little to no fear of either of us. Only resentment."

Kakashi nodded, "Why not relocate Naruto to another team?"

Hiruzen frowned, "Because we do not need hate festering under the surface of Konoha, Kakashi. Sasuke is a perfect example of what happens when hate is left unchecked." The kage took another drag of his pipe. "No. Rather, I would have them confront each other and get it over with."

The Jounin nodded, "And Sakura complicates things because she was personally involved as well."

Smoke trailed out the side of the kage's mouth as he sighed. "Kakashi… this team has the potential to be as great as the Sannin, if not greater. Not to sound like Danzo, but we would be doing Konoha a disservice by not putting them together."

"You want me to help them settle the issue?" Kakashi asked, glancing at the elder ninja.

"No. Your interference would only fan the flames. I want them to work out the problem… just without killing each other." Hiruzen stated.

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Hokage-sama… what of Naruto's banishment from the land of water? Do you think he was telling the truth?"

The Sandaime nodded. "I'm certain that he wasn't lying. I will have to talk to the Mizukage soon, and get the full report."

"To think that he's capable of such a thing…." Kakashi mumbled, glancing out the window.

"He swore up and down that is was an accident, Kakashi. I believe him, and I think that you should as well." Hiruzen stated, following Kakashi's stare. He could see Naruto being escorted towards the academy, where Iruka would be holding the graduation ceremony soon. Afterwards, he would be assigning the teams.

Kakashi sighed. "I trust your judgment, Hokage-sama." The Hatake said. "May I take my leave? I'll have a team to test soon."

Hiruzen nodded, but smirked as Kakashi erupted in a burst of smoke. "As if you're going to be there on time, Kakashi."

* * *

><p>Naruto's heart pounded as he sat outside the classroom. Inside, he could hear a menagerie voices chatting amongst themselves. He could pick out various voices that he even recognized from so long ago.<p>

"**Shannaro!**" came a voice from the hallway behind him. Naruto and his escort whipped around to see a trail of dust being kicked up. Naruto's eyes could spot out two figures who were racing down the hall.

"I'm going to be there first, Ino-pig!" came a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. The tone was deeper, more mature, but he definitely remembered it.

"Not a chance, Forehead! I'm going to sit next to Sasuke-kun!" came another voice. Naruto could now make out the features of the two as they pushed and shoved each other down the hallway.

"I don't care about that! I'm just going to prove that I'm better!" a voice yelled. The two rushed by Naruto, kicking up dust as they screeched to a halt in front of the classroom door.

A bright green eye locked with Naruto's blue eyes, widening somewhat. However, 'Forehead' had too much momentum, and tumbled into the room, her pink hair becoming disheveled as she landed in a heap with the so-called 'Ino'.

Naruto's blood froze as he peaked into the crowded classroom, the tenants of which were now staring in amusement at the two girls on the floor.

Haruno Sakura glanced up at the open doorway, her eyes widening as she locked gazes with a face that she hadn't seen in seven years.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked, but she was drowned out by Ino's victory cheer.

"Eat that, Forehead! I won again!" the blonde girl cheered, making a victory sign.

"Could you be quiet, Ino? You guys tied." A bored voice said from the back of the room.

"Shut up, Shikamaru! I won fair and square, and Sakura knows it!" Ino yelled, smirking at her so-called rival.

However, Ino quickly discovered that Sakura wasn't paying attention. Rather, she was staring with a shocked look at the door to the classroom. "Sakura?" Ino asked, before looking at the door as well.

"Who're you!" Ino yelled, jabbing a finger at Naruto, who was staring at Sakura, his mind overwhelmed.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked again, drawing the attention of the other students.

"Naruto? Like Uzumaki Naruto?" a boy asked from the middle of the classroom. He had a small, white puppy sitting on his head.

"Didn't he disappear like 5 years ago or something?" came another voice, this time from a rather large boy who was currently munching on a bag of chips. "That couldn't be him."

The boy from the back of the room, Shikamaru, looked intensely at the blonde in the doorway. "Nope. That's him, alright. The only other person I've ever seen with such ridiculously bright hair is right in front of him."

A pair of onyx eyes swiveled in the direction of the doorway, narrowing somewhat as they landed on the blonde in question.

"H-hi, Sakura-chan." Naruto mumbled, mesmerized by the pinkette in front of him.

"Naruto… I can't believe it…" Sakura said, her eyes watering somewhat.

The door on the opposite side of the classroom slammed open suddenly, revealing man in a Chuunin's flak jacket, with a large scar running across his nose. "Alright, guys. Sit down and calm down." He announced, his nose buried in some papers.

He seemed to notice the lack of general chatter, causing him to glance up at the class.

The boy in the flakjacket that was currently locking eyes with one of his students immediately caught his attention. One hand strayed to his kunai holster, "Who are you?" Iruka asked sharply, his finger slipping through the ring of a kunai.

This seemed to bring Naruto out of his stupor. The blonde in question blinked and looked at Iruka, "Ah. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I'm…" he glanced down at a piece of paper he was holding, "… a transfer from Kirigakure."

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming then that you're holding a note from Hokage-sama?"

Naruto nodded, before giving Sakura one last glance and walking down the aisle. Iruka briefly saw an ANBU standing in the doorway, before quickly disappearing.

The Uzumaki handed the note over to the Chuunin, who looked it over quickly. Recognizing the Hokage's stamp and signature, he nodded. "Very well. Please give me a moment while I rearrange the teams. You can take an empty seat." Iruka glanced up the aisle, where Sakura was just now picking herself up off the floor. "There's a free spot next to Haruno, who you have apparently already met." Iruka mentioned.

A murmur of whispers echoed through the room as Naruto glanced at the pink-haired girl. She was looking away now, her eyes closed. She was biting her lip somewhat as she scooted over, revealing the empty spot.

Naruto's neck pricked as he felt someone staring at him rather intensely. Glancing at the corner of the room, his eyes locked with a pair of pitch-black orbs.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he locked gazes with none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

The raven-haired boy stared at Naruto with some amount of interest. Naruto returned the gaze with a scowl. Though Naruto did not know how the infamous clan was exterminated, he knew that this boy was supposedly the last of them. The Mizukage had taken him aside and told him that there was another Uchiha still alive. She did not tell him the name, however.

This boy; this Uchiha Sasuke was the last remaining relative of the murderer of his sensei, and first real friend.

A feeling bubbled up within Naruto that he was not familiar with. He wanted to cause the black-haired boy harm. He wanted to make him suffer and feel the same pain that Naruto had felt.

"Naruto?" a quiet voice spoke from beside him.

Naruto was snapped from his thoughts of revenge as he realized that he was standing next to Sakura's seat. She had a worried look on her face as she noticed where he had been glaring earlier.

"Why were you looking at Sasuke like that?" Sakura asked as the blonde boy sat down.

Naruto just shook his head and rubbed his temples, a scowl forming on his face.

Sakura took the hint, and quieted down. She continued shooting glances at the boy. "Naruto…" she tried again, "What...-"

Naruto cut her off, "Later, Sakura…-chan." He said quickly, pausing as he added the term of affection. "We can talk later, in private. Okay?"

The pink-haired girl didn't look happy, but she nodded.

Iruka clapped his hands, grabbing his student's attention. "I have the teams rearranged, and prepared to be assigned."

This immediately captivated his audience, and the room became deathly quiet as the teacher began listing off teams.

"…team 7; Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto shot a heated stare at the onyx-haired boy. "Haruno Sakura," a groan came from the blonde girl from earlier. "And Uzumaki Naruto."

Sakura's face brightened somewhat as she glanced at the blonde next to her. The boy in question was too busy smoldering and glaring at the Uchiha to notice, however.

"Team 8; Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino." Iruka announced.

"Team 10; Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji." The Chuunin said, drawing another shriek from the loud blonde girl.

"Are you really surprised, Ino? This pairing is nothing new." Shikamaru drawled, his hand holding up his face.

"Shut up, you lazy-ass!" Ino yelled, looking murderous.

Iruka slammed his fist on the table, silencing the two. "You are all ninja of Konoha, now. I wish you all the best of luck, and hope that what you learned here saves your life some day." Iruka said, smiling at his class. "Your senseis will be here shortly to collect you. Do not leave the room until they arrive."

With that, the Chuunin turned on the spot and left the room, intent on taking a nap. It had been a hell of a day.

* * *

><p><strong>First off, I'd like to say that I'm sorry for getting this chapter out so late. I took a lot of time to look at this back and forth, and make sure that I'm sending this story in the right direction.<strong>

**Now, some of you may wonder why Sakura is not infatuated with Sasuke, and why she's taken such a liking to Naruto. Her crush on Sasuke originated from her lack of seriousness when it came to being a ninja. I'd like to think that losing a family member knocked some sense into her. As for her liking to Naruto? It's not so much her liking him as it is her being relieved that he is alive. **

**I still haven't decided between NaruSaku or NaruFemHaku. I still have some time to think about it, but your input is still wanted.**

**As usual, read and review. This was a crucial chapter, so please tell me what you think I did wrong, and what I did right.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

**Atrumfides- Firstly, thank you for the very in-depth and constructive comment; it has been very helpful. I understand that Naruto in Konoha is quite overused, but I kind of want to stick to what I know for now. The farther off from canon that I go with this story, the more likely I am to make a mistake. I do intend to expand on Naruto's time spent in Kiri, if for no other reason than to expand on his relationships with the various Kiri shinobi. Perhaps even to elaborate on some of his abilities and ideologies.**

**I'm still very much torn between NaruSaku and NaruFemHaku. I do like your suggestion, however, and will take it into consideration. On the topic of Naruto's potential return to Kiri… I have thought about it. I still have a lot of time before a plot twist like that will be necessary- or even possible- so I will be sticking to Naruto staying in Konoha at least for now. Naruto's connection to Kiri is **_**not **_**severed because of the banishment, however. As for how Team seven will work… that is definitely still up in the air. I can think of many different scenarios of it turning out good… but just as many of it turning out horribly. Keep the reviews coming, man; they very well may end up influencing the decision.**

* * *

><p>Danzo did not get angry easily. In fact, he prided himself on being one of the most self-controlled shinobi in the village, if not the world.<p>

Given that, the fact that he was seconds away from attacking the Mizukage spoke volumes about the situation. Despite the man's rage, Danzo did not so much as frown as he stared impassively at the red-headed woman in front of him.

"Why…" Danzo started, keeping his voice under control, "Is Uzumaki Naruto currently in Konohagakure?"

The Mizukage in question blinked, thrown off by the question. "What do you mean?" she asked, clasping her hands together. "I assumed that it was you that caused the… unfortunate events leading up to Naruto's banishment."

Danzo's cane grinded against the floor. "No, Mizukage-_dono_" Danzo said, sarcastically slurring the honorific. "I had absolutely no impact on Naruto's banishment. I had fully intended for him to remain in Kirigakure until he had reached Chuunin level." Danzo stated.

Mei didn't show it, but inside she was smirking. Finally, something that had gone wrong for the old war-hawk. "Well, I don't know what happened, Danzo." Mei shrugged, unable to keep the smirk off of her face this time, "Bad luck, I guess."

"Why you…" Danzo snarled, his cane grinding on the floor. "What do you think is stopping me from starting a war with you, Mizukage-sama?"

Mei snorted, holding up a pile of papers. "This information is far out-dated, Danzo. You have nothing to blackmail me with." She stated, standing up. "Furthermore, Kirigakure is not the same from seven years ago. We have grown stronger, Danzo." She looked down at the older ninja, her eyes ablaze. "The Seven Swordsmen are reforming; with new, potential members being found on a daily basis. You can't harm Kiri."

Danzo wanted to attack the woman, but he refrained himself. He would not exert his… assets… on such a lowly target. "Fine, Mizukage." He stated, conceding. "However, I do not believe that what happened was 'bad luck', as you so… nonchalantly put it." The war-hawk growled.

Mei quirked an eyebrow. "Are you implying that I caused Naruto's banishment? I- the Mizukage- orchestrated the events that led to Naruto-kun to being thrown out of the only place he has ever called home?"

"No." Danzo said, glancing out a window. "But someone didn't want Naruto in Kiri, and I fully intend to find out why."

Mei snorted again, rolling her shoulders. "Frankly Danzo, anyone who doesn't want to go along with your schemes is a good guy in my book."

Danzo ignored her. "I need the body." He stated simply, still looking out the window.

"What?" The Mizukage asked, a disbelieving look on her face. "Danzo, we've already done an autopsy. There were no signs of foul-play." She stated, "Furthermore, we can't just _give _you-"

"I fully intend to find out who put a wedge in my plans, Mizukage-sama." Danzo said, before beginning to sink into the shadows. "I _will_ have the body." And with that, the man disappeared, causing Mei to sigh heavily, wiping sweat from her brow. Though she was quite powerful herself, Danzo always had a way of making her feel… insignificant.

"Naruto-kun…" she mumbled, looking for a bottle of sake, "Why are you always such a pain in the ass?"

* * *

><p>The blonde in question sneezed, interrupting his staring contest with the black-haired boy at the other side of the room.<p>

Out of all of the students that had graduated, they were the last team. Their sensei was approximately two and a half hours late.

"Can I help you, Uzumaki?" the Uchiha drawled, breaking the incredibly long silence.

The rational part of Naruto's mind begged him to stay still. He knew that Sasuke was no older than he when Kaiza was killed, and would likely have not even known of the assassination. The angry, sorrowful, and mournful parts of Naruto's mind wanted revenge, however. Considering that the rest of the red-eyed freaks had been killed off, this was the only outlet of Naruto's hate.

"I heard that your family was killed off, Uchiha." Naruto said, sneering somewhat uncharacteristically. "Did they piss off the wrong person?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and Naruto smirked as he saw the boy's body tense up. "Don't talk about my family." Sasuke said coldly, his eyes promising pain.

"I suppose there's no point talking about it." Naruto said, shrugging. "It's not like they didn't all have it coming, anyways." Naruto surprised himself with the cruel comment, regretting it the second it left his mouth.

He was contemplating forming an apology when the Uchiha acted. The black haired boy was suddenly crouching on Naruto's desk, a kunai in hand. Said kunai was being held back by one of Naruto's own knives, a deadly gleam coming from the blonde's blue eyes.

Sakura yelped, backing off in surprise at Sasuke's appearance. "Sasuke! Naruto!" she yelled in surprise.

The boy's ignored her, too busy staring the other down. "I _said_ not to talk about my family." The Uchiha growled, putting more force on the blonde's knife.

Naruto's eyes widened a bit. Sasuke's speed was impressive for a Genin, but it didn't quite match up to his own.

The blonde Jinchuuriki knocked Sasuke's kunai away, jumping backwards as the black-haired boy slashed at him. "Come on Sasuke, is that all you've got?" Naruto taunted, his adrenaline starting to pump. He wasn't a cruel person, but Naruto could never turn down a good brawl.

"I'm going to make you bleed." Sasuke growled, holding up his kunai. "_Nobody_ talks badly about my family."

Naruto grinned and whipped out a scroll, quickly summoning his ninjato. "Fine then, mama's boy. Let's do this."

"If you two don't knock it off, I'm going to beat the tar out of both of you! **Shannaro**!" Sakura warned, voicing her distaste as she stepped between the two.

Sasuke paid her no heed, however. He jumped over the pink-headed girl, whipping out a shuriken at his male teammate. The blonde in turn deflected the projectile with his blade before leaping at the onyx-eyes youth.

"My, my. You sure are energetic." A voice said.

Naruto blinked as a hand gripped his ankle, flinging him towards the opposite wall. The blonde crashed against the wall in somewhat of a painful heap as he glared disdainfully at his aggressor.

The grey-haired man dressed in the jounin's vest stared at him with a bored expression as he sat on the back of Sasuke, who was pinned to the desk. "My first impression of you guys… is that I hate you. A lot." He stated boredly. He glanced back at Sakura, "Except for you. You did well, trying to keep the peace."

Sakura blushed heavily, though if it was because she was embarrassed by the praise, or the fact that she had stood up to the boys Naruto did not know.

"Now. If you two can try and not kill each other on the way up, then meet me on the roof." The Jounin drawled before disappearing in a poof of smoke, releasing Sasuke.

"W-was that our sensei?" Sakura asked, looking somewhat dazed.

"Seems like it." Naruto replied, shooting Sasuke a glare.

The Uchiha just 'hmphed' pretentiously before spinning on the spot and stalking off. Sakura just bit her lip as he walked out the door before turning on Naruto. "What was that all about!" She demanded.

"I don't like him." Naruto said simply, walking past the pinkette.

"Yeah, I gathered that, Naruto. I want to know _why_ you don't like him." Sakura said, glaring at the boy. "We've just barely been put together on a team, and already you two are fighting!"

"I could give you a menagerie of reasons as to why he isn't likable." Replied the blonde, entirely avoiding the question.

His companion fumed, looking about ready to get violent. "Naruto… I'm warning you. If I don't get some answers out of you soon…"

"You will." The blonde assured her, before pushing open the door that lead to the roof.

The Jounin and Sasuke were already waiting for them. Sasuke was standing a fair ways away from the jounin, while the man in question was staring at Naruto with a bored expression.

"You two took your time." He stated, yawning.

"The same could be said of yourself, Jounin-san." Naruto replied dryly, taking a seat a few feet away from the brooding Uchiha.

The man looked like he wanted to smile, "Until further notice, you are to address me as _sensei_ if for no other reason than proper respect, blondie."

Naruto refrained himself from mentioning that respect was earned. He didn't want to give his sensei any reason to forcibly earn his respect.

"Now then." Stated the Jounin, "I think we should all introduce ourselves. We should get a feel for our likes, dislikes, dreams, etcetera." He continued, pausing to glance at his potential students.

"Are you going to go first?" Sakura asked, eying the man. "Why don't you set an example for us?"

"Since you asked _so politely_" The Jounin started sarcastically, "I suppose I have no choice."

He tapped his chin, as if pondering what he was going to say. Naruto eyed the man warily. Though he wasn't showing it obviously, this man was clearly a Jounin. Naruto had not detected him at all when he interrupted his brawl, which was an achievement.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like some things and I dislike others. My dreams occur inside my head, and thus are not your business. Anything else… is equally none of your business." The man finally said, cheerfully.

Sakura's eye twitched, and the Uchiha's brooding seemed to become palpable. Naruto however, was too busy listening to the drumming of his own heart. Hatake? He must have heard the man wrong. There was no way that they got the son of the _White Fang_ as a sensei!

Naruto's look of shock did not go unnoticed by Kakashi. "It seems you've heard of me, perhaps." The man mused aloud.

"Lift up your headband." Naruto demanded, his eyes coldy locking with Kakashi's visible one.

If Kakashi was shocked by Naruto's words, he didn't show it. Rather, he ignored Naruto, turning to Sakura, who was currently gawking at Naruto's blatant disrespect.

"Pinky." Kakashi said, grabbing the girl's attention. "You go next."

Naruto simmered, glaring at the man in front of him. Sharingan no Kakashi… Kiri's bingo book had an entire section devoted to this man. He knew what lie beneath that headband. The same disgusting, filthy eye that he so despised. He also knew, however, that Kakashi could not have attacked Naruto as a child. Naruto distinctly remembered a _pair_ of Sharingan.

"Ah…" Sakura mumbled, glancing worriedly at Naruto. "My name's Haruno Sakura. I kind of like working with flowers, and I really enjoy studying genjutsu." She continued, prompting Kakashi to raise an eyebrow. Genjutsu had not shown up on her abilities sheet.

"I dislike unnecessary pain and death." Sakura stated, drawing Naruto's attention. "And my dream is… is to be as good of a ninja as my Uncle Kaiza." She said, finishing her statement. She hid it well, but Naruto could see the watering of her eyes. He blinked a few times, dislodging the urge to cry as well.

Kakashi smiled grimly. Sakura's uncle's death was an unfortunate occurrence… but it inspired the girl to succeed. In addition to her natural attraction to genjutsu, Kakashi could also see Sakura becoming a superb medical ninja.

"What about you?" Kakashi asked, turning to the Uchiha, "You with the funny hairdo."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he replied. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have many likes. I _hate_ many things. My dream… my _dream_ is to restore my clan… but my _ambition_ is to kill a certain man."

Naruto rolled his eyes, barely keeping himself from scoffing. Kakashi almost smiled at Naruto's response, but he knew that Sasuke was not joking around. The boy had always expressed the wish to kill the man- Uchiha Itachi- who had killed his entire clan. The boy knew nothing but hate.

Kakashi's eyes drifted to Naruto, "And you, blondie?" asked the Jounin, gauging the blonde's expression. "What's your story?"

Naruto smirked, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, my friends in Kiri, and training. I dislike filthy bloodlines." At this Kakashi's eyes narrowed, before swiveling to a now-seething Uchiha. "And my dream? My dream is…" Naruto fumbled on his words, his eyes showing his uncertainty. "Huh. I guess I haven't really thought that out yet." Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

Kakashi shrugged, "It's not uncommon to have not thought up any goals yet. You're still young."

At this the Uchiha smirked, shooting Naruto a glance.

"However, having no goals at all is infinitely better than having a goal that will lead to your own destruction." The Jounin threw in off-handedly, sending the Uchiha back into his brooding mood.

Kakashi clapped his hands, smiling somewhat. "Well, that's all I need from you for today. Tomorrow you will be having your actual test."

Sakura blinked, looking up at the older ninja. "Our _actual_ test? Sensei, we already passed our Genin exam!"

Sasuke spoke up willingly for the first time, "He wants to weed out the Genin who are too incompetent to be ninja."

"Which suggests that the Jounin do not approve of the Academy's graduation standards." Naruto said, rolling off of what the Uchiha had been saying.

Kakashi smiled, glancing between the two. "That's correct. Many of the Jounin do not believe that the Academy teaches the students what they really need to know."

"What will this test be on?" Sakura asked, worry in her eyes.

"It's going to be a survival test." Said Kakashi. "I'll explain the details to you tomorrow when you get there."

Naruto was not pleased that he would have to go through a post-graduation exam again, but it was not unexpected. Konoha's standards for academy students was ridiculously low. The Uchiha seemed to agree, if his condescending attitude towards his peers was anything to go off of.

"Also…" continued the masked man, re-capturing their attention. "I would advise skipping breakfast. You're just going to throw it up." He grinned and looked down at them, "Be at training ground 10 at 5 A.M., don't be late." And with that, the man disappeared in a poof of smoke, startling the young Genin.

Sasuke didn't seem to be in a chatty mood, however. As soon as the Jounin had disappeared he had stood up, walking towards the roof door.

Naruto threw the boy one last look of contempt before standing up and stretching. He couldn't wait to find a hotel room and just fall asleep…

The Jinchuuriki made to follow his teammate when he was confronted by a head of pink hair. "I don't suppose you were thinking about leaving before we had our talk, were you Naruto?" Sakura asked, smiling somewhat.

The blonde haired boy groaned internally. "Of course not, Sakura-chan. Why oh why would I think of that?" replied the blonde sarcastically, earning him a punch to the head.

He rubbed his head, flinching somewhat. "Fine, fine… can we at least go somewhere first? I'm starving."

Sakura blinked, not expecting him to agree so readily. "Um… sure. Did you have somewhere in mind?"

"I actually do. I haven't had ramen in awhile…" replied the blonde, a starry look in his eyes.

* * *

><p>"How did it go, Kakashi?" asked Hiruzen, his pipe once again occupying his mouth.<p>

The younger ninja sighed, "Probably one of the worst gatherings I've ever witnessed. I've seen resentment in teams before, Hokage-sama, but this goes well beyond that."

"The boys were at eachother's throats before I had even introduced myself to them. The only saving grace of it all is that Sakura didn't seem to appreciate them fighting." Kakashi answered, his eye closing.

Hiruzen nodded. "I expected as much. Who knows how Sakura will react to finding out that it was a relative of Sasuke's who killed her uncle." The elder man said. "I do not expect Naruto to keep it a secret."

"Well, I suppose we can hope…" Kakashi murmured.

"Do you expect them to pass the bell test?" Hiruzen asked, arching an eyebrow.

Kakashi scoffed uncharacteristically. "Hokage-sama, if I had any hope in _that_ team passing my test, I'd resign right now. No, I can say with much certainty that they will not pass."

The old kage smiled a bit, "You never know, Kakashi. Naruto's had a long-standing reputation of being quite… unpredictable. He may surprise you."

Kakashi said nothing, preferring to stare blankly out the window. That team already resembled so many of Konoha's teams of the past. Could he really handle the responsibility of training them?

Well, he'd have to find out; if they passed, of course.

* * *

><p>Naruto smiled faintly as he scanned the old ramen shop that he had frequented as a child. The place had not changed a bit, and he could faintly hear the soft humming of two voices inside.<p>

"This is where you wanted to go?" Sakura asked, looking at the place in confusion. "It's a dump!"

Naruto sighed and glanced at her, "This is where I came to eat as a little kid. The old man that worked here is one of the first friends I ever had…"

Sakura blushed slightly, realizing the tactlessness of her words. "How about I pay for tonight?" She suggested, pulling out her wallet.

Naruto shrugged in return, his eyes still taking in the rickety old ramen stand. "Let's head inside." He murmured, before walking past the pink-headed girl.

The strong, familiar scent of fresh-cooked ramen hit Naruto as he pulled aside the entrance flap of the food stand, his eyes taking in the form of a young girl who did not seem to be much older than him wiping down the counter, and an elderly man behind her, tending to a vat of the boiling noodles.

A pair of black eyes looked up from the counter, and the girl's light-brown hair bounced somewhat as she greeted the two new customers.

"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen! Can I take your order?" she asked cheerfully, removing the damp towel from the counter.

Naruto frowned at the girl. As a child, it had always only been old man Teuchi who worked here. Could this be a hired hand? "Who're you?" he asked bluntly.

Sakura blinked once before jabbing Naruto in the ribs with her elbow, trying to get him to apologize for such a rude question.

The girl at the counter blinked in confusion as well, but only one person in the Ramen stand understood the context behind Naruto's words.

"Naruto?" came an elderly voice from behind the brown-haired girl.

The aged old ramen stand owner hobbled from the back of the stand, coming up to the counter on somewhat of a limp, his hand clutching his leg. "My word… Naruto! It's really you!"

"Old man Ichiraku." Naruto said, smiling lightly at his old acquantaince.

"Dad?" The brown-haired girl asked, her onyx eyes swiveling towards the elderly man. "Do you know him?"

The man in question seemed close to tears. He shuffled from behind the desk and enveloped the blonde in a hug, surprising his daughter. "Ayame… you never met him, but this is Uzumaki Naruto. He's the boy who went missing all those years ago."

Ayame's eyes widened in recognition, "The one that always ate here? You always told me stories about him…" she blushed suddenly at her own words before feverishly continuing to wipe down the counter, avoiding Naruto's gaze.

"My lord, Naruto…" the old man said, patting the blonde youth on the shoulder. "We all thought you were dead!" Teuchi wiped his eyes, "Hokage-sama never gave us an official explanation of what happened, you see… so we all thought…"

Naruto squirmed somewhat in embarrassment. "Haha, it takes more than that to kill me off, jiji." Naruto chuckled, blushing somewhat.

Sakura smiled from the side, tilting her head as she watched the two old friends. She had never known this side of Naruto before. Sure, he was always kind to her, and she suspected he had had a crush on her at some point… but he was genuinely happy here.

"Where on Earth have you been, Naruto?" Teuchi asked, leading Naruto and Sakura to the stools.

"I've been hiding out in Kirigakure." Naruto said. He figured that since the Hokage hadn't forbidden him from mentioning it, it probably wasn't supposed to stay secret.

"Kiri?" Teuchi responded, scratching his head.

"Yeah. It was… a safe haven." Naruto said, somewhat somberly. Teuchi looked like he wanted to ask more, but he let it drop.

"Well, Naruto, since you have had such a long break from my exceptional ramen, how about I make this meal on the house?" Teuchi offered, smiling at the boy.

Naruto's face lit up, but Sakura spoke up, waving her wallet. "It's okay, Ichiraku-san! I'm more than willing to pay!" Sakura said, smiling.

Naruto rose an eyebrow, "Sakura-chan, he's offering us free food. Let's take up the offer!" Naruto said enthusiastically.

Teuchi smiled, glancing at the pinkette. "It's free tonight, miss. You and Naruto can enjoy your date without worrying about a bill."

The tension was practically palpable after the words left the man's lips. A cold sweat broke out on the back of Naruto's neck. He knew that Sakura had had a bit of a temper as a child, he didn't want to know how that had grown.

"W-we're not on a date!" Naruto stammered, raising his hands up defensively. Behind the elder man, he could see Ayame grinning mischieviously, giggling a little.

Teuchi laughed, before waving his hands in a casual manner, "Okay, okay. No need to get so defensive about it, Naruto."

Naruto bit his lip and slowly turned towards Sakura, somewhat surprised that she hadn't said anything threatening yet.

To his surprise, she was looking away from him. Her eyes were locked intently on the menu hanging from the stand's ceiling. Naruto could see a hint of a blush on her cheeks, which only deepened when one of her emerald eyes locked with his. Despite his typically composed manner, Naruto couldn't stop from blushing in return.

"If you two are done undressing each other with your eyes, you still haven't ordered yet." Came Ayame's mirth-filled voice from over the counter. Teuchi lightly rapped the girl on the back of her head after she said this, but couldn't keep the smile off of his face.

"O-one large miso." Naruto managed to murmur, his face burning. Sakura quietly ordered a chicken ramen from beside him, doing all she could to avoid his gaze.

Teuchi shot his daughter a sharp look, and Naruto could clearly hear him whisper something about killing the mood.

The two ate in silence for the rest of their stay at Ichiraku. Naruto had a total of three bowls, while Sakura had trouble finishing her original bowl.

"Have a good night, Naruto, Sakura." Teuchi said as they exited the stand after eating, "Stay safe!"

Naruto smiled and waved goodbye to his old friend before turning in Sakura's direction, jogging somewhat to catch up to the pink haired girl.

"You still haven't given me any answers, Naruto." His teammate asked, her eyes fixed on the bright moon above them.

Naruto sighed before taking a seat on a nearby parkbench. "Alright, Sakura-chan. What do you want to know?"

The pinkette timidly sat down beside him on the bench, her fists clenched tightly in her lap.

She took a deep breath, and Naruto could faintly see lines of moisture on her eyes. "Tell me what happened on that night. I want to know what happened on the night that my uncle died."

* * *

><p><strong>Good. Fucking. Grief.<strong>

**I'm terribly sorry about getting this out so late, folks. You would not believe how hectic the last two weeks have been. Anyways, here's the latest installment!**

**Will Naruto tell Sakura that it was Sasuke's relative that killed her uncle? Find out next time! And I promise that I'll try and get this next one up sooner!**

**Until next time, **

**Mash.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Test

* * *

><p>A faint breeze rolled past the parkbench, gently sending strands of pink hair across Sakura's face. She blinked away some tears as she stared at Naruto, who couldn't help but sigh.<p>

"Sakura…" he began, fidgeting on the bench. "That night turned into a nightmare that I've been living through again and again, every time I close my eyes."

The blonde boy sighed and stared at the bright moon, its reflection showing in his deep blue eyes. "We were on a walk, your uncle and I." Naruto said, his eyes never leaving the orb in the sky. "I wanted to show him my favorite spot out of the whole village." Naruto smiled faintly, "It was the top of the Hokage monument. It's a really beautiful place at sunset."

"We sat there for the better part of an hour, talking about various stuff… I think we mentioned you a few times…" Naruto said, earning an intrigued look from Sakura.

"Me?" she asked, urging him to elaborate.

"Yeah. Kaiza said that you were showing interest in becoming a kunoichi." Naruto replied, a smile tugging at his lips. "He said that we'd probably be able to hang out together in the academy when we were both old enough to go…"

"I was really happy about that, you know." Continued Naruto, glancing at the pinkette. "I had never had many friends, and the thought of becoming good friends with you was… amazing. I couldn't wait." Said the blonde.

Sakura blushed a bit, she had no idea that Naruto had thought of her like that. "Uncle Kaiza wanted me to become a kunoichi?" she asked timidly.

Naruto nodded, "He very much approved. He always wanted the best for you, Sakura-chan."

"And then…" Naruto trailed off, his hand tightened into fists as his eyes glazed over somewhat. "Then the sun fully set."

Naruto looked at his potential teammate, grief lining his features, "You have to understand, Sakura-chan… it all really happened fast. It's also been so long and… I won't remember the details."

Sakura nodded, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. "It's okay, Naruto. I don't want to hear the details. I just want to know what happened."

The Jinchuuriki sighed, rubbing at his somewhat-chilled arms. "We were attacked." Said Naruto.

"It happened right as we were getting ready to head home. I don't know how it happened… or… or who did it, I just know that the next instant I was running. Running as fast as I could." Naruto muttered, his face pale.

Naruto wanted to tell her that it was a Sharingan-wielder that killed her uncle. He wanted her to feel the same hate for those eyes that he did… but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to reveal that information.

"And so you ran to Kiri?" Sakura asked. Her face was laden with grief, and a single tear was running down her cheek.

"Well… I just ran. It was kind of luck, I suppose, that I ran to Kiri." Naruto mumbled, recalling the distant memories.

Sakura nodded, "Why did you leave? You sound like you enjoyed Kiri."

"I can't tell you." Naruto said. He held up a hand as Sakura began to raise an objection, "I imagine you will find out eventually, Sakura-chan. I just can't tell you now."

Naruto glanced up at the moon again, which was now high above the trees. "Is there anything else you'd like to know, Sakura-chan? It's getting late."

Sakura shook her head. "No… I'm pretty sure that I've gotten all that I can out of you."

She stood up and turned, but then stopped, her brows knitting together. "Actually… there was one more thing."

"And what is that?" asked the blonde, staring at his teammate's back.

"Why do you hate Sasuke so much?" Sakura asked, turning towards her blonde friend. "I remember that you two were almost friends before you left. What changed?"

Naruto's face was devoid of emotion as he locked eyes with Sakura. Would he be able to lie to her about this? Would she find out about the lie? What would happen if she did?

"Sasuke… I just don't like him." Stated the Jinchuuriki, his face betraying none of the internal conflict. "He's a bit of a prick, you know?"

Sakura smiled faintly, giggling a little. "I suppose I know what you mean."

Naruto gulped. He wasn't the best at detecting lies, but he could see a fake smile from a mile off. Sakura didn't buy his story.

"I suppose we should be getting home." Sakura said dismissively, turning towards her house. "Good luck on the test tomorrow, Naruto."

"Yeah… good luck to you as well." Naruto muttered, watching her walk away.

Naruto sighed in exasperation, slumping backwards on the parkbench.

His eyes wearily landed on the moon, which glowed peacefully in the sky. His ears twitched as he picked up a sound that he hadn't heard before.

"Who's there, and how long have you been listening?" Naruto asked into the darkness behind him.

"Long enough." Came the voice of Uchiha Sasuke as he revealed himself, stepping out from behind a large tree.

Naruto bristled, watching the arrogant prick step into the light of the lamp post. "How can I help you, Uchiha?"

"You didn't tell her." The boy replied, his dark eyes locking with Naruto's blue.

Naruto's blood ran cold, but he didn't let any emotion run across his face. "I didn't tell her what?"

"You know what." Sasuke said, leaning against the lamp post. "Are you surprised that I know about it?"

Naruto continued to feign ignorance, "Know about _what_, Uchiha?"

Sasuke smirked, "Quit playing stupid. You are surprised that I know that it was my father who killed Sakura's uncle."

The blonde's blood boiled, but he restrained himself. "He told you?"

"Of course not." Sasuke said. "As far as I know, he wasn't even aware that he committed the crime."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "You mean that he was manipulated? How do you know this?"

"My brother… told me many things." Sasuke mumbled, his hands clenching into fists.

Naruto stood up, an image of Uchiha Itachi crouching on his ninjato flashing through his mind. "Why are you telling me these things? Furthermore, how do I even know that you're telling the truth?"

Sasuke frowned, "My father was being manipulated. I want to know by whom. I think you can help."

The Jinchuuriki scoffed, "And why the _hell _would I help you?"

"Because the person who manipulated my father is the same person who caused the death of Haruno Kaiza." Sasuke stated bluntly. "I just figured that you might want to know who it was."

Naruto lowered his guard somewhat, appraising the boy in front of him. "Why are you asking me for help? You didn't seem the type to ask for help."

"Does it matter?" asked the Uchiha, a smirk appearing on his face. "I need help. That's all that matters."

The blonde sighed, stretching slightly, "Fine. You realize however, that I won't be able to help you if we fail that test tomorrow, right?"

"Do you plan on failing?" Sasuke asked, turning away from the blonde.

Naruto chuckled as the black-haired boy disappeared into the night.

"I suppose not."

* * *

><p>Training ground ten was silent as Naruto approached the borders for the grounds. It was just past five as Naruto entered the training ground, glancing around for his teammates.<p>

He could hear Sakura's tired shuffling from just down the road, and he could also hear the slow, steady breathing of who he presumed to be Sasuke coming from a nearby tree.

The morning fog was still heavy on the training ground, obscuring all but the nearest objects from sight.

Naruto smiled eerily and slipped deeper into the fog, obscuring his body.

"Sasuke? Naruto?" A high-pitched voice called out as Sakura made her way across the training ground. Squinting through the fog.

"I'm here, Sakura." Sasuke responded, hopping down from his tree. "I don't think Naruto's arrived, yet."

Sakura frowned, trying to make out Sasuke's form. "That idiot… Kakashi-sensei said to be here by five, didn't he?"

"That's right!" Naruto's voice echoed from the fog, causing the hairs on Sakura's neck to stand on end. "He also said not to eat. I hope you guys didn't follow that rule as well."

Sasuke scoffed, "Why do you care?"

A fist shot out from the fog, causing Sasuke to whip around, barely catching Naruto's punch. "Because…" the blonde muttered, his face appearing from the fog, "You'll need that energy for the warm-up."

"W-warm-up!" Sakura yelled, "Naruto, you idiot! What do you think you're doing!"

Naruto whipped out his leg, catching Sasuke in the side. "Just what I said. Are you guys really prepared to fight a Jounin without a warmup?"

Sasuke grimaced and grabbed Naruto's leg, trying to throw the boy away from him. The Uchiha's eyes widened as his hand phased straight through the blonde's leg. A clone.

"Where are you looking, Sasuke?" came a voice from the fog. The Uchiha spun around, flinging a kunai into the obscuring mists.

"You missed." Came Naruto's voice from behind him, followed by a rough punch to the back of his head, sending him sprawling forwards.

The Uchiha snarled and fell into a roll, raising his arm up to block the kick from above.

"Better." Naruto said, smiling at the Uchiha. "Don't rely so much on your eyes."

Naruto scoffed, looking around at the now-receding fog. Morning was coming on rapidly.

Sasuke whipped out his leg in a sweeper kick, frowning as he passed straight through the blonde's leg again.

'_Damn it all… how is he switching like that?_' thought the Uchiha before backing off, trying to assess the situation.

A twig crunched behind him. Instinctively, the Uchiha flung a kunai at the sound, inspiring a high-pitched shriek that echoed across the training ground. A silhouette stumbled in the mist, holding its side.

"S-Sakura?" Sasuke asked weakly, his face draining of blood.

The figure suddenly straightened up, rushing at him.

"No." Naruto said, before slamming his fist into Sasuke's stunned face. "You're so gullible, Sasuke."

The Uchiha roared in rage, clutching at his face. One onyx eye widened in anger behind the fingers that were nursing his nose.

The fog. He had to get rid of the fog.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"(Fire release: Great fireball technique) Sasuke roared, his hands set firmly in the tiger seal. An enormous fireball escaped his lips, quickly evaporating the moisture in the surrounding area. The inferno raged wildly, hot air flicking around the Uchiha's body.

Sasuke's eye caught the faintest movement in his peripheral vision; a sandal quickly retreating into the remaining fog.

"No you don't!" he cried, his hands grasping at an assortment of kunai and shuriken. His hands flicked out in rapid succession, metal objects flying rapidly at an obscured figure in the fog.

The sound of metal sinking into flesh was music to Sasuke's ears. He laughed weakly as he strode into the fog, silently hoping that he hadn't killed the blonde.

Sasuke frowned as he stumbled across the body. No…

Pink dress.

Pink hair.

Blood… blood everywhere.

Sasuke's knees buckled as he stared into the blank, empty eyes of Haruno Sakura.

No… no, wait… '_You're so gullible, Sasuke._'

"K-kai!" Sasuke stammered, his chakra flaring slightly as he expelled the foreign chakra from his coils. Immediately the illusion lifted, showing an empty patch of dirt. The fog was gone as well, and a bright sun was shining down on the training field. The landscape was completely unchanged. No scorch marks from his fireball.

Uzumaki Naruto was standing on the other side of the training ground. Beside him stood Sakura, whose face was torn between worried for Sasuke, and disapproving at Naruto.

"W-what…" Sasuke said, climbing shakily to his feet. "What the hell's wrong with you?" he yelled, jabbing a finger at Naruto. "You call that a warm-up?"

"Damn straight I call that a warm-up." Replied the blonde. "That was also for you to get used to my typical fighting style."

Sasuke frowned, "Your fighting style? Sensory deprivation and genjutsu?"

"No." Naruto said, leaning against a post. "Well, no to the last part. Sensory deprivation is certainly part of my style, but genjutsu is not. That genjutsu was incredibly low-level, and wouldn't have worked in most scenarios."

Sasuke grit his teeth. "You're lucky that I didn't have my Sharingan, idiot."

Naruto chuckled, before bending over into a full-on guffaw. "Y-you really think that your Sharingan would have helped, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, wiping a tear from his eye.

Sasuke growled, glaring daggers at the blonde. "We'll see who's laughing, in the end, idiot."

"My, my." A voice said from behind the group. "You two really are bundles of energy."

Naruto blinked, before squinting at the sky. "Huh? You're only a half hour late today, sensei."

"You're still late!" Sakura yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the grey-haired man. "This is what happens when you leave these two idiots alone!"

Sasuke huffed and turned his back on the group, prompting Naruto to stick his tongue out at him.

"Hmmm. I don't know. I rather enjoyed watching the little scuffle." Kakashi said, yawning slightly. Kakashi had actually enjoyed watching the fight. He was impressed with both of the boys; Sasuke for his grasp over mid-level fire techniques, and Naruto for his ability to manipulate a fight.

"Anyways, it's time for your test." The Jounin muttered, pulling two bells out of his pocket.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as the bells jingled in the wind.

"This is known around the Leaf Village as the bell test." Announced their sensei, who jingled the bells for effect. "Many of our Jounin use this test."

Naruto nodded. It was common for villages to have standard testing procedures, but Jounin were always able to add their own customs and designs to the test.

"To summarize it quickly… everyone who has one of these bells at the end of the three hour testing period gets to move on to be Genin." Kakashi stated.

Naruto frowned immediately, identifying the problem. In fact, it seemed that all of them caught on rather quickly. "Sensei… there are only two bells. One of us can't pass." Sakura said timidly, a scared look crossing her face.

"That's correct. Two bells. Two Genin. The people who do not get any bells will be sent back to the academy for remedial classes." Kakashi replied, a bored look in his eyes.

"I've never heard of any remedial classes, sensei…" Sakura murmured, while Sasuke nodded behind her.

Naruto's frown deepened. This test was the standard test of the leaf village? All Genin teams he had ever seen had four people, not three. The Jounin and the _three_ Genin. He had never seen a standard team with anything less. Something was definitely off here.

"The remedial classes exist." Kakashi replied again. "They're kept secret to save the failed Genin from further humiliation. Anyone who fails the remedial classes is dropped from the program. Permanently."

"How are there three man Genin cells?" Sasuke asked. "If it's only possible for two to pass, then how do three man cells exist?"

"Two-man teams are merged with master-apprentice cells after they have passed." The Jounin stated smoothly.

"Then why go through the trouble of sorting us into three man squads in the first place? None of this makes any sense." Naruto said, finally speaking up.

Kakashi shrugged, pulling out his book. "If you three don't want to take the test, I can always fail you all."

Naruto glared, but didn't object further. Sasuke and Sakura followed suit, though their suspicions were far from extinguished.

"Good. Now, then. You three have the next hour to get the bells. If you don't have them by 7 o'clock, then you will fail." Said Kakashi, who was still raptly reading his orange book.

The Jinchuuriki tensed, awaiting Kakashi's signal. Sakura backed up slightly and Sasuke drew a kunai in preparation.

"Begin."

A burst of smoke erupted from Naruto's position, engulfing the three Genin. Kakashi smirked as he sensed the three dash into the surrounding forest under the cover of the smokescreen. Maybe there was some hope for them yet.

…or maybe not.

Kakashi leaned back casually as he dodged the attack from the side. A knife cut through the smoke, heading straight for the masked man.

The Jounin caught the kunai between two fingers before nonchalantly discarding it.

"Do you intend to fight me alone, Sasuke?" asked Kakashi, appraising the boy in front of him.

Sasuke smirked before throwing a pair of shuriken at the masked man. Kakashi caught the metal tools by their center rings, cocking his head as Sasuke charged at him. "Guess that answers my question" murmured the Jounin.

* * *

><p>Naruto sighed as he watched Sasuke confront the Jounin. Sasuke was a talented kid, but a Jounin was on an entirely different level. None of them could hope to fight him alone. He had to find Sakura quickly.<p>

The blonde grinned as he saw a patch of pink among the foliage. Sakura wasn't far from him and it appeared she was aptly paying attention to the fight going on in the field.

She smiled as she saw him coming, before turning her attention back to the fight. "Sasuke's not going to win, is he?"

"Do you really even need to ask, Sakura?" Naruto murmured. "That man is a Jounin. None of us can fight him on even footing."

Sakura gave him a strange look, "Are you suggesting that we team up? You know that won't work, Naruto. We won't all pass."

The blonde sighed. "We have to risk it. Something's up with this test. I'll take the fall, if necessary. I can find a new team easily enou-" a noise from behind the pair caught Naruto's attention. Sakura's eyes widened as he spun around, flinging a kunai into the foliage.

Naruto blinked as a shriek echoed through the trees, followed closely by the sound of metal clashing on metal.

Another Sakura burst through the trees where he had thrown the kunai. Her hair was ratted and twisted, and she was overall pretty banged up; like she had been in a fight.

The pieces clicked together immediately. Naruto rapidly unsealed his sword, the ninjato slicing through the air as he whirled around, the blade aimed at the first Sakura.

The pink-haired girl smiled lazily and raised a kunai that easily held against his sword. A burst of smoke later, and Naruto was staring at another Hatake Kakashi.

"Very good, Naruto. You have good reaction time." The man stated, pushing back on Naruto's sword.

"That asshole trapped me in a hole in the ground!" the real Sakura yelled, her eyes blazing. "I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Naruto frowned. "Kage Bunshin?" he asked, to which Kakashi nodded in affirmation.

"Very good. You're more knowledgeable than many give you credit for." Replied the Jounin lazily. Kakashi's attention swiveled to Sakura. "And you… how _did_ you get free of my Headhunter jutsu?"

"Trade secret." Sakura stated, forming a seal. "You're going to regret putting me in the ground like that, sensei…**Shannaro**!"

Kakashi's eye's widened as Sakura opened her eyes. One of her eyes was turning a deep black color. Swirls of black were overtaking the green, engulfing her eye.

Naruto didn't know what Sakura was doing, but all he knew was that he had to keep Kakashi still. Gathering his chakra, he pulled at all available water sources, every last drop of dew on the leaves around the forest. His chakra flailed wildly around, collecting all of the available water. He put extra pressure on his ninjato as he quickly flicked through some one-handed seals.

"Suiton: Suiro no jutsu!"(Water release: Water prison technique) Naruto announced as water began converging around Kakashi, engulfing his torso in water.

"Shit… not enough…" Naruto gasped, his chakra unable to get any more water.

"Haruno Hijutsu: Naibu Kyodo!"(Haruno secret technique: Mind Division!) Sakura yelled, her eye completely engulfed in blackness as it stared directly at Kakashi.

Naruto swore as he saw the water stop coming in. The prison of water would stop Kakashi from moving, but it wouldn't stop his hands from being used.

A surge of chakra flooded out from Sakura, and Naruto watched Kakashi's eye widen visibly, before the Jounin was engulfed in smoke.

Naruto coughed and swayed, dispelling the water prison.

"D-did we get him?" Sakura asked, blinking somewhat.

"Close, but no cigar." Naruto growled, listening to the slow, steady breathing behind the two.

Sakura whipped around as Kakashi's clone stepped out from behind a cluster of leaves, an appraising look on his face.

"I must say, you two caught me by surprise." The clone said. "Who would have guessed that you knew one handed seals, Naruto."

Naruto ignored him while Sakura spoke up, "Impossible! We saw you get dispelled, sensei!"

"Wrong. You saw a cloud of smoke. Many techniques cause smoke… like replacements." The Jounin replied, yawning. "I didn't expect you to know your uncle's technique, Sakura. Did he teach you?"

Naruto sighed and leaned against a tree, rolling his eyes. "Is it really time for idle chatter, sensei?"

Kakashi smiled and shrugged, before quickly whipping out a kunai, blocking the sword strike that came from behind him. "You're slick, Naruto."

The Naruto near the tree wavered and dispelled, revealing that it was only a clone.

The real Naruto frowned and pushed harder on his sword. "How did you know?"

"I'm a Jounin. I saw you perform the clone technique and very subtly replace yourself with the clone when you leaned against the tree." He replied, his eyes reflecting his smile.

Naruto scoffed and kicked out at the Jounin, frowning when his leg and sword passed through the man simultaneously, throwing the blonde off balance.

The Jinchuuriki landed awkwardly on a branch, scanning around him. His eyes widened as he felt a tug on his leg.

"Not slick enough, I'm afraid." Kakashi murmured as he heaved Naruto into another tree by his leg. "Is this all you have to show for your time away, Naruto?"

A vein appeared on Naruto's forehead, the blonde flipping in midair, slamming feet-first against the trunk of the tree. The blade of his sword reflected the bright sunlight as he rebounded off of the tree, eyes fierce.

Kakashi's eye narrowed as Naruto was engulfed in smoke. The Jounin whipped around, kunai out as he sensed a presence behind him.

"**Shannaro**!" yelled Sakura's voice as her knife clashed against Kakashi's, causing the Jounin's eye to widen.

The masked man saw his blonde adversary burst from the cloud of smoke behind him, sword ready. A smirk formed beneath his mask as the sword flashed in the sun, before everything went dark.

* * *

><p>The real Kakashi was almost caught by Sasuke's kick as the memories from his clone came rushing back to him. Though it was only half as powerful as he, Kakashi was still astonished that his clone had been dispelled. He'd have to make sure it didn't hold back next time.<p>

The black-haired Genin he was fighting was not giving him many chances to think, however. Though Sasuke was not nearly as powerful as Kakashi, the boy was very fast for his age. He was also well-learned in his clan's taijutsu.

Kakashi knew his weakness, however. "Getting tired, Sasuke? You've slowed down. Naruto's putting up a much better fight against my clone." The Jounin taunted, sparking a flash of anger in the Genin in front of him.

It was just what he'd been waiting for. Sasuke lashed out in a reckless roundhouse kick, his eyes widening as his leg passed smoothly through Kakashi's face.

"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no jutsu." (Earth release: Double suicide decapitation technique.) Floated Kakashi's voice from beneath him as a hand wrapped around Sasuke's ankle.

The Genin yelped as he was violently yanked underground, leaving only his chin and up exposed.

Kakashi chuckled to himself and sat down on a rock near the dark-haired Genin, glancing down at the boy. "This is what happens when you try and take on a superior opponent alone, Sasuke." Kakashi lectured, taking out his book.

The boy ignored him, huffing haughtily and looking away as best as he could.

"Naruto and Sakura defeated my clone, you know." Kakashi continued. "I imagine that they'll be here soon. Perhaps they'll even give you a hand."

"Like I need their help." Sasuke grumbled, trying not to react to the information. He knew that the blonde was powerful, but could he really have defeated this man's clone?

Kakashi shrugged and flipped a page in the book, humming to himself and smiling pervertedly.

Sasuke continued to brood, his thoughts darkening as he pondered Naruto and Sakura's victory. It must have been a weaker clone. There was simply no way that a shadow clone of normal strength went down to anyone weaker than himself.

Years of patience and diligent training told him to not react when he felt two thin arms wrap around his torso underground.

He could tell it was Sakura. Nobody else in their class was that remarkably petite. Well, except perhaps Ino, but he knew that she couldn't be here. The arms around his torso began steadily pushing him upwards, causing the ground around his neck to give way as he was gradually forced out of the earth.

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow as he watched the scene. Could Sasuke actually escape his jutsu? His profile never mentioned any proficiency with earth techniques…

His eye narrowed as he saw the head of pink hair emerge next to Sasuke. Bright green eyes opened in defiance against him as Sakura emerged from the ground as well.

"Ah. So that explains how you escaped my technique." Kakashi murmured at the Genin, tapping his chin. "And then if you're already here, that means that Na-" Kakashi's sentence was cut off as he felt a sharp, painful pressure enter his lower back, building through his body, and emerging through his chest.

The Jounin coughed and looked down, staring at the ninjato that was forcing itself through his chest, precisely where his heart was located.

Sakura and Sasuke stood in a shocked trance, staring blankly at their sensei, who had just been murdered in front of their eyes.

Kakashi doubled over, clutching his chest as a smile played over his face. "Well played, Naruto..." he murmured, before exploding in a burst of smoke.

Sakura blinked away the tears that had formed in her eyes as a head of blonde hair arose from behind the rock Kakashi had been sitting on. Naruto scoffed and sheathed his ninjato, before popping his neck and rolling his shoulders.

"N-Naruto!" Sakura yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him, "You said that you were going to beat sensei, not try and kill him!"

The boy stared boredly at her, "Sakura-chan, he was a clone the whole time. Did you expect a Jounin to leave himself open like that?" the boy sighed and leaned against a rock. "No. Definitely not. He probably even knew I was there."

Sasuke shook his head, "You idiot…" he mumbled before popping his own neck.

Sakura flushed at Naruto, "W-well, we need to go after him! We have to get the bells!"

"We don't have time." Naruto grumbled, before a loud ringing rang through the clearing, originating from an alarm clock that had been placed on one of the three wooden posts at the center of the training ground.

Sakura gasped and whipped around, her eyes widening as she stared at the clock.

"We… failed?"

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, okay. You guys deserve to be angry. It's been what, over a month?<strong>

**Sorry about that, and I'm also sorry about giving such a small chapter. I actually had to re-write many parts of this chapter, and I'm still not particularly happy about it.**

**Anyways, until next time.**

**Mash.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Victorious

* * *

><p><strong>One thing that you guys will likely notice is the change in character personalities throughout this story; most notably Sasuke's. Naruto is going to be much less of an obnoxious idiot, and Sakura will be less of a bitch in general, but Sasuke is where the most change will occur. Sasuke will resemble the Sasuke that we saw just before he deserted the village in the canon, minus that snarky, arrogant attitude of his. He'll still be cocky as hell, but not in such an intolerable way.<strong>

* * *

><p>"We… failed?" The words were hollow as they left Sakura's mouth.<p>

Naruto frowned and sighed, collapsing on the ground and rubbing his aching skull. What a headache this had been. Sasuke flinched, before taking a seat across from the blonde.

"This doesn't make any sense…" the Uchiha grumbled.

A storm of leaves between the three caught their attention. "What doesn't make sense to you, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, his features relaxed, yet deeply disappointed. "You tried to take on me, a _Jounin_ alone." The man lectured, staring down the Uchiha. "Did you expect to win? Did you expect to beat someone who has been killing people long before you were _born_?"

Sasuke didn't respond, his eyes locked on the ground. Kakashi rounded on the blonde and the pinkette, his attitude no less aggressive. "And you two. How long exactly did you plan on taking to defeat a _shadow clone_?" he asked, bending down to their level.

Naruto growled, standing up. "Excuse me? What about that speech you just gave to Sasuke! It was the shadow clone of a damn _Jounin_!" he ranted, glaring at the masked man.

Kakashi pushed him back down to the ground, smirking somewhat uncharacteristically. "Sure, but what exactly was the key here, Naruto? You left Sasuke _alone_ with me for the better part of an hour!"

Naruto scoffed, looking away. He couldn't deny the Jounin's logic.

"One thing they never teach you in the academy is the importance of _teamwork._" Kakashi stated, looking at the three. "There _will_ be times when you are up against a superior opponent. In these times, teamwork is absolutely essential." The man finished, folding his arms over his chest.

Kakashi whipped his arm out, towards the Hokage monument. "See those men up there?" he asked, glancing at the fourth face on the mountain momentarily. "They all got their title because they were willing to make any sacrifice to save the village, and the people in it." He rounded on the academy graduates, looking down on them. "When you three are capable of doing the same for each other, then maybe you will be fit to be Konoha ninja."

The Jounin gave them one last look, before disappearing in a swirl of leaves, his voice floating through the air. "Your remedial classes will begin tomorrow at 5 am. Don't be late."

Naruto stared stupidly at the place Kakashi had been standing, his jaw hanging open somewhat. Sakura stood behind him, her eyes welling up with tears, her dream dissolving before her eyes. The third member of the team was seething silently away from his teammates, but was no less shocked. Had they really failed?

Naruto took a deep breath, before taking a shaky step forwards. "I-…I'm going to go do some training." The blonde muttered, his mind whirring over what had just happened.

Sakura nodded, turning towards him. "Do you mind if I come along? I… I need to touch up on a few things."

The blonde nodded, almost smiling as he saw Sasuke follow in suit, heading back towards the deserted training ground.

"Where do you think you're headed?" a voice called out from behind them.

Team seven collectively turned, looking at the voice that had addressed them. Naruto's eyes widened somewhat as he recognized the individuals. Pale, pupil-less eyes stared back into his deep blue orbs.

Hyuuga Neji cocked his head at the group, a smug smirk plastered to his face. "Training grounds are reserved for _official_ Konoha ninja. Not failures."

"That's not true." Sakura said, raising her voice. "Academy students train at these grounds all the time!"

"Says the failure." One of the others spoke. Tenten's smirk was nearly as broad as Neji's as she stepped from behind him, her hands fiddling with a pair of kunai. "We need these grounds, and we very well plan on using them."

Sasuke snorted and stepped in front of Sakura, drawing a kunai of his own. "Oh, are you? And who might you be?"

A flash of green zipped through the training ground, making a bee-line straight for the Uchiha. Naruto moved swiftly, unsheathing his sword and swinging in a low arc at the blur as it raced towards them. Rock Lee stopped on a dime, the blade hovering inches from his neck as his fist was equally close to impacting Sasuke's face.

The speedy boy did a quick backflip, landing right beside Tenten as Neji spoke up again. "We're Team Gai, and we're going to use this training ground now."

Naruto frowned before placing himself in front of Sasuke and Sakura. "Like hell you are. You three can take your pompous asses and get the hell out of here." The blonde said, glaring at the Hyuuga.

"Hmph. Very well." Neji said, smirking. "We'll let ourselves in."

Naruto and Sasuke tensed as Neji slid into a fighting stance, his palms extended towards the two.

"W-wait!" Sakura interrupted, placing herself in front of her teammates. "Can't we work something out?" she pleaded, "…peacefully?"

Sasuke snorted. "Sakura, this isn't something that's going to resolve itself peacefully."

"Besides," the blonde said, continuing for his teammate. "This will only be a friendly spar. Right?" he asked, smirking at the Hyuuga.

"Why, of course." Neji replied.

"Brilliant!" Naruto yelled, before dashing forward, his blade flashing. Sasuke followed suit, grinning as he tailed his blonde teammate.

Naruto bent backwards, sliding on his knees as Lee's leg flew over him. The green-clad Genin frowned and followed through with the kick, aiming it now at the Uchiha. Sasuke blocked the kick, flinching as he felt a huge force slam into his arm. His heels dug into the soil as Lee's kick forced him backwards.

"Doton: Ganchuso!"(Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear) came Sakura's voice from behind the two. A spike of rock rose between the two, forcing Lee to momentarily retreat. Sakura grinned, panting as a sizeable amount of chakra was drained from her.

The Hyuuga scoffed and bent backwards, ducking under the sword strike that sailed over his head. Placing his hand on the ground as support, he shot his leg out in an attempt to sweep Naruto's legs out from under him. The blonde in question performed a quick leap, spinning in the air and slashing at the Hyuuga again from above.

"Tenten, now! Kaiten!"(Heavenly Rotation) Neji yelled, his body contorting and spinning as he prepared his rotation. Naruto's eyes widened as his sword was easily blasted away from the rotating chakra ball that formed, sending him flying into the air.

"Soshoryu!"(Twin rising dragons) the bun-haired girl cried as she leaped into the air, two scrolls whipping out behind her. She twisted in the air as weapons began popping from the scrolls, hovering nearby as she grabbed at them, rapidly sending them flying at the perplexed blonde.

"Doton: Doryuheki!" (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall) came the pinkette's voice yet again, and Naruto grinned as a fair-sized wall rose around him, covering him from the barrage.

"Nice, Sakura!" Naruto called, laughing a bit. His praise went unheeded, however, as Sakura had collapsed, her breathing quick and shallow from over-exertion.

Sasuke rolled his eyes a bit. That girl really needed to improve her reserves.

A massive force slammed into the side of the Uchiha's face, sending him flying through the air, before crashing into the dirt.

"Where are you looking, Sasuke-kun?" Lee asked, standing in his traditional Goken stance. The green blur vanished again, and Sasuke was barely able to duck in time as Lee's leg sailed over his head, smashing through a small tree. Sasuke glanced at the tree, shuddering. Just how strong were these three?

Naruto's ninjato clashed angrily against Tenten's own ninjato. The brunette smirked as she pressed Naruto back, "You seem to know how to handle a blade, blondie."

The blonde in question snorted, before knocking her blade away with a burst of chakra to his arms. "You should see my friend. He schools me." Naruto murmured, his leg sliding backwards as he prepared the debilitating final strike.

A sharp pressure hit Naruto's upper arm, and he cursed as he felt the limb go numb. The Jinchuuriki rolled to the side, barely evading Neji's open palm, which was aimed somewhere near his kidney.

A light scratch formed down the length of his arm as Naruto just barely avoided Tenten's slash. He cussed, painfully forcing open his closed chakra point.

Tenten leaped into the air again, a bold smirk on her face. "Soshory-"

"Katon: Housenka no jutsu!" (Fire release: Phoenix fire jutsu) echoed across the field as several fireballs flew straight at the girl, slamming into her back. Tenten gave a short shriek as the fireballs seared her back painfully, before falling to the earth, landing rather painfully on a rock.

Sasuke was allowed a smirk before a bandage covered fist slammed into his face once more, sending him flying towards his blonde teammate.

Naruto grunted as he caught Sasuke's flying body, sweat pouring down his brow. These guys were no pushovers.

"You okay?" the blonde questioned, panting as Neji and Lee watched them, standing side by side.

"Yeah. I'm fine, idiot." Sasuke grunted, barely managing to get to his feet. "What do we do now? I'm nearly out of chakra."

"We fight until we can't fight anymore." Naruto muttered, his eyes narrowing.

Neji looked over at Lee. "They've had enough. Let's finish this. Take them off, Lee."

Lee's eyes widened, "You know I can't do that, Neji-kun! I need Gai-sensei's permission!"

Neji frowned, "Hmph. Fine. Can you take out the Uchiha swiftly? I'll finish the blonde in one move."

The green-clad shinobi nodded, before charging forward. Neji smirked and followed his teammate, his eyes locked on Naruto.

Naruto swung his blade out, barely missing Lee as he dashed to the side. Sasuke ducked as Naruto followed through with his swing, attempting to cut at Lee again.

"Jump!" Sasuke yelled, his hand flashing through some seals. Naruto complied, catching a glimpse of Neji just behind him. "Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" Sasuke roared, a fireball exploding forward, heading straight towards the smug Hyuuga.

"Kaiten!" yelled Neji, his rotating chakra quickly clashing with the impressive fireball, quickly dissolving it. Neji came out of his rotation as soon as the flames died down, rushing forward to slam his palm into the exhausted Uchiha.

"Suiton: Teppodama!"(Water release: Water bullet) Naruto announced, his cheeks puffing out as a compressed blast of water shot from his lips, slamming into the Hyuuga.

A force like a train slammed into Naruto's back from above, causing the blonde to plummet to the ground, slamming into the earth like a meteor.

Naruto caught a glimpse of green as he staggered upwards, watching Sasuke collapse from exhaustion.

"Time to end this. You're within the range of my divination." Came Neji's haunting voice from behind him.

"Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!" Neji yelled, his hands flying towards the exhausted blonde in front of him.

Naruto closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain.

The blonde slowly opened his eyes after a few seconds, noting with relief that no pain came. Turning around, the boy's eyes widened as he saw the form of Haruno Sakura between him and Neji, her arms splayed out defensively. His eyes also locked with Neji's pale, angry eyes as he noticed the set of hands that were gripping Neji's wrists.

"That's enough, Neji." Hatake Kakashi said, his hands keeping Neji's fingers a mere inch from Sakura's tenketsu. "You've played your part well, but I won't allow you to cripple my students."

Naruto blinked, and even Sakura seemed extremely surprised.

"P-part?" Naruto managed to sputter out, his legs barely holding him up. "Students?"

"W-what are you talking about, Kakashi-san?" Sakura asked, taking a step back from Neji. Naruto held her steady as she stumbled slightly, causing her to blush. Sasuke let out a low groan as he staggered to his feet, sweat dripping from his brow.

"That's Kakashi-sensei to you, Sakura." Kakashi said, smiling. "You all pass."

"What crap are you on about?" Naruto asked, looking at Kakashi as if he'd grown a second head. "You failed us less than an hour ago!"

"A ninja must see through deception. This was an improvised add-on to the test." Kakashi stated. "You all worked together well enough during the first portion, but you never really showed me that you could work as a well-oiled machine."

"So… this was all a set-up?" Sasuke gasped out, glancing at Neji and Lee.

"Yosh! My eternal rival's youthful students have performed exceptionally against my own!" Rang out a familiar voice.

Maito Gai appeared in a burst of leaves between them all, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, my youthful friend! My eternal rival Kakashi asked for a favor, and of course I had to say yes!"

Naruto's eye twitched, his sword shaking as he glared at the smiling, masked Jounin. "You…" he mumbled, clutching his sword, "You wait until I've had a good, long rest… then I'm going to kill you."

"Aah, no need to be so hostile, Naruto." Kakashi said, smiling lazily. "It won't do any good if you end up killing your sensei!"

Naruto's eye widened somewhat, but he shook it off, snorting. "Whatever. I'll just let Sakura kill you, then."

Naruto glanced at the Hyuuga, his eyes narrowing. Neji had tried to kill him with that last move, and would have ended up killing Sakura. He'd have to keep a close eye on him.

"Sasuke-kun!" came Lee's jubilant voice, "We must spar again soon! You truly are filled with youth!"

The Uchiha just rolled his eyes, a grin climbing onto his face.

Sakura swooned slightly, slumping against Naruto as he caught her. He lightly felt her forehead, frowning as he felt a temperature. "Chakra exhaustion." The blonde muttered.

"It's not severe." Kakashi said, walking over to unconscious girl. "A good night's rest will have her good and recovered, albeit a bit sore."

"Yosh! I would like to stay and have another spar, but my youthful team has a mission to do!" Gai announced, saluting Kakashi. "Until next time, my eternal rival!"

Kakashi smirked and waved him off, watching as his students followed their sensei.

Naruto groaned and leaned against a tree, propping Sakura up next to him. "So we really passed?" he asked, glancing at the Jounin.

"That's right." Kakashi confirmed, smiling lazily. "You three have a ways to go, but you definitely have the potential." He glanced at Sakura. "Her control is excellent, but we really need to build up her chakra reserves if she wants to be involved in long-term battles."

"I can help with that." Sasuke spoke up, causing Naruto to quirk a brow, even earning a look from Kakashi. Sasuke sputtered under the sudden attention, becoming flustered, "I- I can't have her holding us back. The Uchiha clan has special methods for building chakra reserves." He stated, looking away.

Kakashi smiled as he glanced at the three. "You all performed excellently today. You took on a more experienced Genin team and held your own. As a reward, you three have the rest of the day off to do whatever you want."

Naruto heaved himself off the ground, popping his neck. "Well, good. I plan on spending it sleeping."

The blonde sighed happily, looking at the sky. He had been much happier on his team in Kiri… but maybe this wouldn't be so bad…

"Hey, blondie!" he heard a familiar voice call out. Naruto turned, tensing slightly as the girl from before approached, smiling and rubbing the back of her head. "We never got introduced earlier, but I'm Tenten. You're not too shabby."

Naruto relaxed, smiling sheepishly. "Heheh. Like I said, my friend from home is much better with a sword than I am."

Tenten raised a brow, "From home? You live here, don't you?"

Naruto smiled somewhat, "Yeah. I live here." '_A home is where you feel safe…_' the blonde thought somberly, thinking back to his childhood.

The girl fidgeted somewhat uncomfortably, before extending her hand, "Well, I wouldn't mind sparring another time. Maybe you could even show me a thing or two." She said, laughing. "You should bring your friend, too. If he's half as good as you say he is, anyways." She finished, smirking.

Naruto returned the smirk, before shaking hands with her, "You can bet on it."

* * *

><p>Hiruzen smiled as Kakashi once again slipped into his office, closing the door behind him.<p>

"Now Kakashi, I don't want to say I told you so…" Sarutobi teased, grinning.

"Of course you don't. A Hokage must retain an aura of maturity and self-respect." Kakashi drawled, pulling out his book. "He certainly would never stoop to such childish taunts."

"…but I told you so." Hiruzen said, chuckling. "What did I say, Kakashi? Don't underestimate that boy. He impressed you, didn't he?"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama" Kakashi said, glancing at the elder ninja, "They _all_ impressed me." The masked man took a seat on the other side of Sarutobi's desk, pulling out several files, and slapping them on the table. "These files are wrong. The academy did not get an even vaguely correct evaluation of either Sakura or Sasuke."

Hiruzen quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so? Whatever did they miss?"

"I could go on for awhile, but they missed Sakura's talent for earth techniques, and they completely misjudged Sasuke's capacity for teamwork." Kakashi said, glancing at the files. "Sakura knew several low-level, but very practical earth techniques, as well as her Uncle's signature technique."

"And Sasuke?" Hiruzen inquired.

"Sasuke worked very well together with his teammates." Kakashi replied. "I could tell that it was somewhat forced, but he was still able to do it."

"What of Naruto?" Sarutobi questioned. "How has he progressed?"

Kakashi sighed, glancing out at the Hokage monument. "Naruto… he's definitely talented. It would be hard to say who's the most powerful between him and Sasuke in a straight-out fight…" Kakashi mused lazily.

"You seem like you have more to say." Sarutobi responded. It was not a question.

"Naruto's out of his element here." Kakashi continued. "He's obviously got a respectable affinity for water jutsu, but Fire Country is called Fire Country for a reason."

Sarutobi nodded, "So he's at a disadvantage."

"Indeed." Kakashi muttered. "However, I'd like to try and remedy that at some point. He's obviously been trained in the silent killing techniques, which rely heavily on sensory deprivation… and it's fairly commonly known that the Hidden Mist Technique is almost always coupled with that."

Sarutobi sighed, "And he can't use that here."

"His stealth is exceptional, though." Kakashi said, smiling. "He applied it very well during our fight, and almost caught me off guard."

The elder ninja quirked a brow incredulously. "Really? That's quite the accomplishment, Kakashi."

"They're all well above what I expected." The Jounin mused. "They took on Team Gai and held their own for awhile."

Hiruzen nodded, smiling. "Indeed. I watched the skirmish, and I was impressed."

Kakashi sighed, rubbing his neck, "Do you need anything else, Hokage-sama? I'd like to get a bit of rest and relaxation before the missions begin."

The aged ninja smiled knowingly, remembering all too well the D-rank missions of his youth. "Yes, Kakashi. You're dismissed."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi said, saluting before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

><p>Sakura sighed happily as a gentle sweeping motion rocked her body. She felt a cool, but comforting breeze flow through her hair, cooling the sweat on her brow. She snuggled closer to the warm mass near her, smiling contentedly.<p>

That is until an uncomfortable throat-clearing sound interrupted her lovely snooze.

Blinking sleepily, she looked upwards, watching as objects above her head flicked by at a high speed. Looking slightly over, she saw the beet-red face of Naruto Uzumaki just over her, his gaze fixed in front of him.

Her gaze traveled down, her face starting to heat up as she realized that the warm mass… had been Naruto.

"A-afternoon, Sakura-chan." Naruto mumbled, his eyes never leaving the horizon. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, Sakura held firmly in his grasp.

It took every ounce of self-restraint Sakura had not to hit Naruto.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura asked coolly, her temper peaking.

"Taking you home. That is, unless you wanted to spend the night camping on the training ground." The blonde replied, looking away.

Sakura blinked, the memories of their test flooding back into her skull.

"We passed…" the girl mumbled, a smile creeping on to her face.

Her blonde teammate grinned and nodded, "That's right! We're officially team 7!"

Sakura wanted to jump for joy. One of her dreams had finally been realized! She paused, remembering the fight in particular. "I'm… I'm sorry." She mumbled out, looking away.

Naruto blinked, glancing down at his teammate. "Sorry? What for, Sakura-chan?" he asked, confused. "It's really no trouble for me to take you home. It's not too long of a walk back to my place."

"N-no…" she mumbled, "I meant that I'm sorry for collapsing in the middle of the fight…" the pinkette sighed, "I'm pretty useless, aren't I?"

She glanced upwards, her eyes widening as Naruto suddenly burst out laughing, tears forming at the corners of his eyes, causing the pinkette to frown, crossing her arms. "W-what!" she demanded, her face heating up, "What's so damn funny!"

"S-Sakura-chan…" Naruto gasped, still chuckling, "I'd be in the hospital right now if not for you, or worse." The blonde said, smiling. "You may not have lasted all that long, but that can be fixed."

"Do you remember what Kakashi-sensei said when he failed us?" Naruto asked, causing Sakura to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "He said, 'When you three are capable of risking your lives for each other, then you will be a proper team'." Naruto recited, "You would have taken Neji's attack in my place, and I'm sure you would have done the same for Sasuke. In that regard, you're the most reliable member of our team." The blonde finished, grinning at his teammate.

Sakura stared at Naruto, her mouth hanging open slightly. Was this really the same knuckle-head that she used to know so well? Who knew that Naruto was capable of being wise…

She giggled, relaxing as the air whipped through her hair. "Thank you, Naruto."

The blonde just nodded happily, before taking a bit of a leap, landing in front of a well-decorated house. "If I remember correctly, this is where you lived before." Naruto said, glancing at the windows, "You still live here, right?"

Sakura nodded, before nimbly twisting out of his arms. "Yep. This is the Haruno clan's reserved housing."

The pinkette swayed slightly, the blood rushing to her head. Naruto raised a brow, chuckling. "You sure you're going to be alright, Sakura-chan?" he teased, grinning.

Sakura just stuck her tongue out, "I'll be fine, thank you very _much_." She retorted, smirking.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Alright, alright. Kakashi-sensei said to meet up at training ground 7 at 8 a.m." Naruto informed her, glancing back towards the training grounds, "Evidently there's some bridge near there or something, and that's where we'll meet up."

Sakura nodded, "Is he actually going to be there at 8?" she asked, frowning.

The blonde chuckled again, "Probably not, but that'll just provide us more time to train, right?" he responded, smiling.

A sigh escaped Sakura's lips as she shook her head, "Boys…" she mumbled, a smile creeping over her features.

Naruto smirked, "Alright then, maybe we can spend the day _doing our nails._" He retorted, "I wonder how much _that_ will pay as a mission." The boy snickered, earning a glare from his teammate.

"Whatever." Sakura said, huffing and crossing her arms over her chest. "Good night, Naruto." She said, turning away from the blonde.

The blonde frowned, wondering if he'd gone too far with that last one. He sighed and shrugged it off. He doubted that she'd stay mad forever. He turned around, smiling as he watched the sun starting to set.

"Oh, and Naruto?" he heard from behind him. He turned around, blushing as Sakura placed one hand on his cheek, her lips pressing lightly and briefly against the other. "Thanks for being such a gentleman." Sakura said, smiling.

Naruto was unable to form a reply before Sakura had turned around and retreated through the front door of her house, flashing a slightly embarrassed smile at him as she closed the door.

"Huh…" Naruto mumbled, touching his cheek. "She got over that fast."

* * *

><p>A lone traveler wandered down an empty road, his dark cloak moving gently in the breeze. His dark eyes swept along the road in front of him, clearly looking for something.<p>

He walked farther down the road, a large, flat rock on the side of the road catching his attention. Upon the rock sat another figure.

The second figure was a much larger man, who had a very large object strapped to his back. As the first individual approached the rock, the second looked up, a sharkish grin appearing across his features; rows of jagged teeth displaying themselves.

"Welcome back, Itachi-san." The larger figure greeted, moving over to leave a space on the rock. "I take it your trip to Kiri went well?"

The smaller figure let out a small noise of acknowledgement as he sat down on the rock, crossing his legs as he entered a meditative position.

"So you located the Sanbi, then?" the larger figure questioned again, grinning as Itachi nodded in confirmation.

"I would certainly hope so, given how long you were gone." The large man continued. "Are you sure that locating the Sanbi is _all_ you were doing over there?"

"Kisame." Itachi said sternly, his eyes turning a deep shade of red as he locked eyes with the larger man. "What I do on my own time is my business and my business alone." The smaller man said, closing his eyes. "Besides, I don't ask where _you_ go to when you're not around."

Kisame chuckled, his beady eyes glancing down at his partner. "Fair enough, I suppose." He replied, grinning. "I just figured we could start getting a little more chummy, since we'll be working together, y'know?"

"We're working together." Itachi repeated, "A professional relationship is all that we should strive for, given that the odds of either of us dying on any given day increases with each bijuu that we locate."

The large man chuckled again, closing his eyes. "Alright, alright. Let's just give our report already."

The two closed their eyes, their chakra flaring slightly as they began the technique that they were taught not long ago.

Upon opening their eyes, they noticed that they were no longer on a lonesome, barren road. Instead, they were in the middle of a large, dark, cavernous area. They were standing on stone pillars which happened to be the fingers of a partially-completed statue in the middle of the cave.

They had used a projection technique taught to them by their employer. They were nothing more than astral projections that had been tied to a certain location.

Around them stood several other projections, coming in various shapes and sizes.

"Hn… so you two are finally reporting, yeah?" came the voice of one of the projections, a smirk on his face.

"Fuckers certainly took your god damn time, didn't ya?" asked another projection, his eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Hidan, Deidara." A third voice said, silencing the two. The third voice was clearly the leader of the group, his authority went unquestioned as the two prior speakers were silenced immediately.

"Itachi. Kisame." The figure spoke again, addressing the two. "Give your report. The others have already given theirs."

"I've found the Nibi. All we have to do is collect the bitch." Kisame said, grinning.

The leader glanced at him, silencing him. "Now is not the time, Kisame. All we are doing is locating the bijuu. We're not ready to harvest them yet." He finished, turning to Itachi. "And what of you, Itachi? Did you find the Sanbi?"

Itachi nodded, his red eyes locking with his leader's peculiar eyes. "I've successfully located the Sanbi no Kyaidogame." The red-eyed man replied, his face emotionless. "It currently has no host, but it is hibernating in a large expanse of water not far from Kirigakure."

Their leader's face was emotionless, betraying none of his thoughts. "Very well. We now have tabs on all current bijuu, aside from the Hachibi and Kyuubi."

He glanced and Kisame and Itachi again. "Since you two were so fashionably late, I'm assigning you another job after the meeting concludes. You are to locate the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Do not abduct or interact with it in any way." The man said, his eyes locking with Itachi's.

"Kakuzu, Hidan's volatile swearing volunteered you two on the job to locate the Hachibi no Kyogyu." The leader said, his voice impassive. "The same orders as before apply. This is a reconnaissance mission _only_. Do not interact with it."

"Motherfucker." Hidan swore, rounding on the leader. "Why don't you get off your lazy, bitchy ass and go out and be fucking productive, eh?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing.

His partner, Kakuzu, shot the man a look, "Hidan, be quiet. Time is money, and you've already wasted a lot of my money."

"Fuck you, Kakuzu."

"Enough." The leader spoke, raising his voice. "You have your orders. Carry them out."

With that, the leader's projection fizzled and died, adjourning the meeting.

Kisame had a grin on his face as he turned to his partner, "The Kyuubi's last known whereabouts were in the Land of Fire, Itachi-san. Are you ready for a little family reunion?" he asked, chuckling at his own tasteless joke.

Itachi didn't answer, preferring to simply disengage his projection. _'Naruto-kun…'_

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Progress! Aren't you guys just so proud of me? :D<strong>

**Anyways, that concludes chapter 10. I hope you liked this chapter, because I rather did enjoy writing it. Even though these chapter's are rather short, they're about as good as I can do at the moment if you want these out relatively quickly.**

**Until next time;**

**Mash.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

**Spiritwolf35: No, I do not plan on making Naruto godly. Naruto is going to be stronger than he was in the canon, but he will not wipe the floor with every opponent he faces. As for the pairing, I have more or less decided on NaruxFemHaku with possibly a very brief NaruSaku prior to that.**

**Keiren-Kun89: When we're talking about the eye of one of the most **_**proficient **_**Uchiha in regards to mind-control techniques, then yeah, it is that simple. As for the Godaime, what do you have to support that claim? Mei came to be Mizukage within recent years, it's very plausible that she was Mizukage during that time period. Furthermore, even if you're right, did you forget that you're reading a fanfiction? **

* * *

><p><em>Naruto smirked as he eyed his opponent. The young Chuunin smiled back and charged, his tanto gleaming in the sunlight. Naruto unsealed his blade and swung; ninjato and tanto clashing in an angry shower of sparks, eliciting a menagerie of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the crowd around them.<em>

_Naruto swept out his leg, his ankle colliding painfully with the senior ninja's ankle, sweeping it out from under him. The older man let out a small yelp as he fell backwards, losing his balance. Naruto sprung forward, slamming the hilt of his blade into the man's forehead. The blonde's smirk vanished as his opponent disappeared in a poof of smoke, a trashcan taking his place. Naruto spun on his heel, blade extended as it once again clashed with his opponent's tanto._

_The Chuunin laughed, his mist hitai-ate gleamed in the sun as he pressed against Naruto's weapon. "Not bad, Naruto-kun. Your form has improved."_

_Naruto didn't respond, merely forcing chakra into his arms, knocking his opponent's blade to the side. His leg slid back as he prepared for the debilitating strike he'd been taught, his blade gleaming angrily as it swung forward, aimed at his opponent's unprotected side._

_The blonde frowned as his blade clashed against a kunai that appeared in the man's hand, and the boy was forced to jump back as the chuunin's tanto sought to slice open his leg._

_Naruto slipped his finger through the ring of a kunai, smirking as he whipped his hand forward, the blade aimed at his opponent's neck._

_The next few moments flashed through Naruto's mind, his opponent's eyes glassing over as they stared past Naruto. Naruto's own eyes widening as the Chuunin made no move to dodge the blade. The sound of metal slicing through unprotected flesh. A sickening gurgling that sounded throughout the arena._

"_Naruto…" Mei's face as she watched the scene in horror, her eyes widening…_

"_Naruto..." Ao's voice came next, his eyes narrowing in suspicion and disappointment._

"_Naruto-kun…" Chojuro's disbelieving tone as he watched his bestfriend murder a fellow ninja._

"**NARUTO!**"

The blonde jerked awake, his eyes widening as his hand hastily snatched up a kunai, glancing around. His breathing was heavy as he scoured the room with his eyes, his ears twitching at every sound.

Sweat dripped down his face as his heartbeat gradually slowed. "J-just a dream…" the boy stammered, his hand covering his sporadically beating heart. "Just a fucking dre-"

"**UZUMAKI NARUTO!**" came a thunderous voice from outside his door. "**YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO OPEN THIS DOOR BEFORE I KICK IT DOWN!**"

Naruto hastily sprung to his feet, tripping over his various scattered ramen cups and articles of clothing as he raced to the door, opening it just in time for Sakura's foot to come sailing through it, smacking him dead in the face.

"G-good morning, Sakura-chan." Naruto muttered around her sandal, managing to support himself with his legs.

He heard Sasuke let out a snort from behind the pinkette, who quickly retracted her foot. "O-oh my god. Naruto, are you okay?" She asked, trying not to giggle.

"Peachy." The blonde replied as he slumped to the ground, rubbing his face.

"You're late, dobe." Sasuke said, grinning slightly. "We were meeting up today to do team practices, remember?"

Naruto cursed, glancing at his clock. "Shit. Was that today?"

The last month and a half had been very hectic for team seven. Although their teamwork had definitely improved according to Kakashi, it was certainly difficult to get the two boys to cooperate when their lives weren't strictly in danger. Sakura's reserves had improved quite a lot thanks to Sasuke's family training. It involved never letting her reserves fill up entirely. They would spend the days doing intense physical activities, and then use the evenings to burn off any spare chakra with jutsu mastering. Sakura's reserves had easily doubled from the sudden increase in training.

Naruto would spend his free time stalking Kakashi around the village, doing his best to try and sneak up on the man. Naruto was very talented in terms of stealth, but he was never quite able to get around the one-eyed man's surprisingly acute perceptional skills.

It was only lately that they had decided as a team that teamwork was their next priority. Each of them had a unique elemental affinity, and Kakashi predicted that they could use them in conjunction with each other.

"Yes that was today, Naruto." Sakura said, sighing. "You're a half hour late already!"

Naruto sighed and stood up, throwing a glare at Sasuke who was still grinning. "And put some clothes on while you're at it." Sakura mumbled, blushing.

Naruto twitched before closing the door on his teammates, scrambling to find some clothing.

He tossed on his usual get-up of a green shirt and shorts, tossing his blue flak jacket over top. Opening the door, he stepped outside, grinning at his teammates. "So," the blonde began, glancing between the two, "What's first?"

* * *

><p>"Would you hurry it up, Haku?" came the gruff voice of a large man. He stood well over 6 feet tall, wore black plants that went down to striped leg warmers, and a pair of matching striped arm warmers. He had a rather large sword strapped to his back, held to him by various straps. He had bandages covering the lower part of his face, leaving only his eyes and up visible.<p>

"Y-you can't rush these things, Zabuza-sama." His companion replied, struggling with something.

Zabuza sighed, sitting down on the bed of their temporary apartment, a bored look in his eyes. "Really, how long does it take to throw a couple of bandages on, Haku?" Zabuza asked, smirking.

"It's not 'throwing on' a couple of bandages!" came Haku's flustered voice. "You said yourself that I need chest wrappings, and these aren't easy to put on!"

Zabuza snorted, looking at the bathroom door. "Oh, give me a break. It's not like you have a lot going on up there, Haku. You're thirteen."

"Zabuza-sama's a perv." Haku said, blushing as she finished up tightening the wrappings.

The man stood up as the door opened, showing Haku pulling on her hunter-nin robes, pulling the belt tight around her waist. "You never did say what we were leaving for, Zabuza-sama." Haku said, adjusting her robes.

"A job opening." Zabuza replied. "A big one. For some shrimp named Gato. Evidently he's one of the richer men in this country, and the rumors say that he needs a bodyguard-slash-mercenary." He explained, tightening the sword straps. "Sounds like a good deal."

Haku frowned, fidgeting. "Zabuza-sama… are we sure he can be trusted? This sounds a little _too_ good to be true."

The ex-mist-nin quirked a brow at his companion. "Are you _scared_, Haku?" he asked, incredulously.

"Not scared, no." She replied, grabbing her mask. "Just worried. We've never worked for this powerful of a man before. What if it's a trap by the Godaime?"

Zabuza rolled his eyes, opening the door. "That old bat couldn't care less what I'm doing, Haku." He said, strolling out the door. "With the Seven Swordsmen still unformed, there's nobody she'd send after me."

Haku sighed, putting on her mask and following her master out the door. "If you're sure…" she murmured.

"I am." The large man said, glancing up and down the alleyway they were standing in. "I was told to meet the correspondent here.

"Momochi Zabuza?" a voice from the entrance of the alleyway inquired, albeit timidly.

Zabuza quirked an eyebrow at the man at the entrance of the alley. He wasn't by any means a memorable person. He had plain brown hair, a small cut on his cheek, black eyes, and a small sword strapped to his waist.

"Yeah? Who wants to know?" Zabuza retorted, smirking.

"I'm the messenger from Gato-sama. I'm to give you a time and place to meet him." The messenger replied. He shiftly uneasily as he looked at Zabuza's sword.

"Will you be meeting with him alone?" the messenger asked, looking around the alleyway. "I was given the impression that you had… a companion?" he continued, glancing around.

"That's correct." Came Haku's voice from behind the man.

The messenger jumped, his hand flying to his sword hilt as he spun around, eyeing Haku.

She eyed him back, one hand holding several senbon needles under her robe. "I'm Zabuza-sama's accomplice." She said, making sure her voice was low enough to pass as a boy's. "You may call me Haku."

The man seemed less alarmed now, but was still tense as he uneasily let go of his sword hilt. "I… see…" he said, glancing back at Zabuza. "Very well. Gato will be in the next town to the south-east of here on the 29th to partake in a business deal. He will be dining with the town elder and a few executives, so if you could wait outside the town hall at around 7 in the evening, we could negotiate your contract." The man finished.

Zabuza nodded, rubbing his chin. "Sounds like a deal. I'll be there."

The man nodded, making a quick, informal bow before quickly departing, a relieved look crossing his face.

Zabuza chuckled as he stretched, popping his neck. "What a stiff. He looked like he was about to crap his pants."

"You do tend to be marvelously intimidating, Zabuza-sama." Haku said, smiling beneath her mask.

"Heh. I think you scared him more than I did, Haku." Zabuza laughed, walking back inside. "It doesn't look like this 'Gato' has negotiated with many shinobi before."

Haku nodded, glancing at the spot the messenger had been standing. "Indeed." She replied, before following her master.

* * *

><p>"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"<p>

"Doton: Doryuheki!"

Fire raged against earth as the two techniques clashed. Sasuke grinned as the fire began melting away the earth.

Sakura grunted, the heat from the flames beginning to get through the Earth wall.

A bright blonde blur shot into the sky, doing a flip as he centered himself above the conflicting jutsu. Naruto's hand shot to his belt, fingers slipping around the end of a scroll as he yanked it free of its restraints. Pushing chakra into his fingers, he forced the energy into the scroll, causing it to glow an eerie blue.

Water began gushing from the markings on the scroll, prompting the blonde youth to begin performing some seals.

"Suiton: Suishi no jutsu!" Naruto announced, the water forming and molding itself into a high-powered jet of water that blasted downwards, immediately extinguishing Sasuke's fireball. Naruto panted slightly as the water slammed against Sakura's remaining earth wall, grinning as it started cracking.

The rapid heat change on the wall caused the earth to become brittle and flakey, allowing Naruto's jet of water to bust right through, launching Sakura several meters.

Naruto did another flip, putting away his scroll and unsealing his ninjato, grinning as he caught Sasuke's eye.

Though Naruto's relationship with Sasuke was far from a perfect friendship, the blonde had conceded that it was not the Uchiha's intention to kill Sakura's uncle. Due to this new information, Naruto had spent more time learning Sasuke's style of combat. He quickly determined that Sasuke would perform exceptionally with a sword.

Naruto's ninjato clashed in a shower of sparks against Sasuke's chokuto. Due to Sasuke's leaner and taller frame, Naruto figured he might perform better with a longer sword. So far he'd been correct.

The blonde blinked as he suddenly fell forward, his sword passing smoothly through Sasuke's blade, slicing into the Uchiha's neck. Naruto gasped, his eyes widening as he stared at the Uchiha's shocked expression… before noticing that Sasuke's sword was still very much intact. "Kai!" Naruto yelled, sending a surge of chakra throughout his body.

Immediately the illusion lifted, showing him and Sasuke still facing eachother. Sasuke stared blankly past him, his eyes glazed over.

"Doton: Ganchuso!"

A pillar of rock soared out of the dirt, aimed straight at Naruto's midsection.

Naruto did a quick substitution, wincing as he watched a blunt pillar slam into Sasuke, lifting the genjutsu and eliciting a stunned gurgle from the boy.

"Aaaaand… match." Came a voice from the side of the training grounds.

Naruto sighed and jumped out of the tree he was in as Kakashi strolled onto the field, helping Sasuke to his feet as the boy swayed slightly, looking dizzy.

"Yo." The Jounin greeted as he glanced at his Genin. "I see that you're all diligently training."

Sakura made her presence known as a hand burst from the earth, pulling the pinkette out of the ground, her hair somewhat disheveled. "Me fighting these two isn't fair, sensei…" she grumbled, straightening out her hair.

"And yet, you seemed to have the upper hand when I called it." Kakashi retorted, smiling lazily. "Don't sell yourself short. You're competing with them well."

"You're telling me…" Sasuke groaned, rubbing his torso. "You didn't tell us you were using genjutsu as well, Sakura." The teen added, glancing at his teammate.

Sakura nodded, smiling. "Since I have such good control, I figured it would be good to start studying. I've also contemplated tapping into medical jutsu…" Sakura mused, tapping her chin.

"I see that your seals have improved, Naruto." Kakashi stated, glancing at the scrolls hanging off his belt. "You must have what, 20 gallons of water stored in there now?"

Naruto grinned and tapped his belt, his scrolls swaying slightly. "Yep! I've been able to improve on the original design you gave me."

Kakashi nodded, smiling as he glanced at the additional markings on the scroll. Naruto really had a knack for sealing. It was fitting, he supposed.

"Anyways, you all have a mission briefing to attend." Kakashi said, glancing at his Genin.

"A mission briefing?" groaned Naruto, slumping to the ground. "We've already done 10 d-ranks this week, Kakashi! We don't want to do any more…"

"And that's exactly why I got you three a c-rank." Kakashi said, smirking under his mask.

Sasuke's eyes widened, as did the blonde's. "A C-rank? Really?" Naruto demanded, his eyes shining.

"That's right. You three have improved beyond my wildest expectations. You also demonstrated that you can hold your own against a Genin team who has already completed some c-ranks." Kakashi responded.

"A-are you sure we're ready?" Sakura muttered, squirming. "C-ranks usually take you out of the village, right?"

"We don't have to worry, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said boldly, grinning ear to ear. "C-ranks are really fun! They're usually just bandits and stuff. Rarely do you ever have to fight ninja!"

Sasuke nodded, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"Naruto's right, Sakura." Kakashi continued, "C-ranks could potentially be dangerous to the inexperienced Genin, but I'll be tagging along, and you three are far from inexperienced."

The pinkette still looked nervous, but decided to concede the point. She sighed, "Fine… when do we go in for our briefing?"

"Now, actually." Kakashi stated. Grabbing the arms of his Genin, he did a quick shunshin, appearing in a quick swirl of leaves just outside the Hokage's door.

The Genin stumbled somewhat, their heads spinning as they took in their new surroundings. Kakashi opened the door, ushering the three dazed Genin in as he glanced at the village's leader.

Sarutobi smiled at the man, analyzing the Genin as they strolled in. Naruto came to his senses first, glancing around, eager to meet his client. Sasuke seemed equally curious, but hid it under a veil of annoyance. Sakura was still somewhat dazed as a voice from the corner of the room spoke up, breaking the silence.

"These are supposed to be my bodyguards?"

Naruto turned around, his eyebrow raising as he took in the appearance of the man who had asked the question. He was a tall, grizzled man, who had the look of decades of manual labor about him.

"Team 7, this is your contact and client, Tazuna." The Sandaime stated.

"So these are who I paid for…" Tazuna groaned, taking a look at the Genin. "I didn't expect to get a bunch of greenhorns."

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow, "You requested a C rank mission, and these are c-rank contenders. They can handle any bandits or thieves."

Tazuna sighed, glancing at Naruto. "Yeah… but they just all look a little naïve. Especially the blonde one. He looks a little dim upstairs."

A tick formed on Naruto's brow, and it took every ounce of self-restraint he had not to charge at the man, his hand moving to the scroll that held his sword.

Kakashi cut in swiftly, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I assure you, sir, we're more than enough. Besides, I'm an experienced Jounin. Should anything go wrong, I would be more than enough to handle it."

The man didn't look convinced, but he let the point drop in favor of taking a swig from his container of alcohol, sighing contentedly. "Well, whatever." He said, shrugging.

Sarutobi spoke up, his lip twitching into a grin at the scene. "Tazuna-san, you have all been scheduled to leave tomorrow morning at seven." The man said, turning towards the Genin, "This mission is projected to take about a week moving at civilian speed, since you will be escorting Tazuna-san to the land of waves."

Naruto twitched involuntarily. Land of Waves? That wasn't far off from…

Sarutobi did not miss the involuntary movement, his eyes locking with Kakashi's, who nodded. "You three have the rest of the day to prepare for your mission. Get plenty of rest, and be sure to pack all the necessities." The third said, smiling down at them. "Since Kakashi requested this mission himself, I expect it to be handled expertly by the Genin that he endows so much trust into."

The Genin nodded and saluted sharply, their egos swelling somewhat.

"Dismissed." Sarutobi said, relinquishing the ninja.

Kakashi nodded to his Genin, allowing them to walk single-file out the door, sighing to himself as he glanced at their client. He had a feeling that it was going to be a long week.

* * *

><p>Sparks danced through the air as two blades clashed, the opposing blade wielders staring each other down.<p>

"So you guys are finally getting a c-rank, huh?" asked Tenten as she twisted around Naruto's ninjato, stabbing forward with her tanto.

The blonde in question flicked his blade upwards, knocking the tanto into the air as he kicked out at the bun-haired weapon's expert. "That's right. Heading to the land of waves." He replied, focusing on her blade.

Tenten did a quick backflip, a chain flying from her sleeve, wrapping around the hilt of the airborne tanto as she yanked her arm back, retracting the chain. "You guys are lucky. We were a team for a full 6 months before we did a c-rank."

Naruto dashed forward, slicing at Tenten's thigh. He quickly pulled to the right as a kunai buried itself where his foot would have been. He knocked aside a second kunai as he flew forward, clashing blades again with Tenten once more, pressing hard against the blade, taking advantage of his weight. "Maybe we're just a better team." Naruto replied, smirking at the brunette.

"As if, blondie." Tenten retorted. Quick as a bullet her free hand whipped to her pouch, grabbing a kunai. She slashed out at Naruto, forcing the blonde to bend backwards at an awkward angle.

Tenten smirked and bent low, her leg snapping out, catching Naruto's ankles. The blonde yelped as his legs were swept out from under him, wincing as he felt the cold steel of Tenten's tanto pressed snuggly against his jugular.

The brunette winked at him. "No hard feelings, rookie. Not everyone can be spectacular with a blade." She gloated, smirking.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Came the blonde's voice from behind her, and Tenten's eyes widened as a blade rested lightly against her neck, just barely drawing a line of blood.

"Wha…" she murmured, before watching the blonde in front of her start to deform, turning into a loosely held-together puddle of water that promptly splashed into the ground.

"Mizu Bunshin." Naruto replied, smiling. "No hard feelings, right?"

Tenten growled, glancing back at Naruto. "I thought we agreed no jutsu, you little twerp."

The blonde shrugged. "You expected a ninja to play by the rules? You win the knife fight. I win the battle."

"That was most unyouthful, Naruto-kun!" came Lee's eccentric voice from the side of their current training ground.

Naruto rolled his eyes, sheathing his sword before help Tenten up, smiling apologetically. "I don't like losing." He admitted, shrugging.

Tenten grumbled, sheathing her blade as well before rubbing her neck, scowling. "You didn't have to cut, you know."

"Here, let me see it…" came the voice of Sakura as she came down from the sidelines, shooting Naruto a disapproving look. "I know some low-level medical jutsu. I can probably heal it."

The brunette smiled appreciatively, rolling her head to the side, exposing the cut. Sakura glanced at it once, before turning around and punching Naruto in the shoulder. "Don't you know how to treat a lady, jerk?" she demanded, frowning.

Naruto blinked, scoffing. "Let me know when one's in the area…" he muttered under his breath.

Thankfully Sakura hadn't heard him, being too busy glancing over the small cut. "Unfortunately this technique is meant for rashes and skin irritation… but I think I can get it to heal a small cut like this if I put a bit more chakra into it…" she muttered, placing her hand over the cut.

A faint green glow emitted from Sakura's fingertips, causing the skin around the cut to slowly pull together, the cells repairing themselves very slowly.

Sakura sighed as she finished, rolling her neck. "That's the only real technique I know for medical jutsu. Looks like it worked well enough, though…"

Tenten touched the area, smiling contentedly, "It's good enough. The rest will heal overnight. Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura nodded cheerfully, before shooting Naruto another glare.

"Not bad." Sasuke said, smirking from his spot on the sidelines. "For a few minutes there you were acting like a ninja for once."

"What was that?" Naruto growled, grinning slightly as he unsheathed his ninjato. "You wanna go, teme?"

Sasuke smirked, snorting presumptuously as he stood up, dusting off his pants. "I have things to do tonight, and I don't want to be worn out for the mission tomorrow. Maybe next time."

Sakura nodded, yawning. "Yeah, we've been training most of the day. I don't want to be tired for our first C-Rank." She said, glancing at the setting sun. "Plus I still have to pack…"

Tenten chuckled, glancing at the three as Lee trotted over to her side. "You rookies'll have a blast. C-ranks are the absolute funnest missions you can go on without being in danger all the time."

"Indeed! C-ranks are a perfect opportunity for you to unabashedly show your youthful skills to the world!" Lee yelled, cheering and whooping.

"Yeah, yeah. I find it unlikely that it'll be worth my time, but if you insist…" Sasuke muttered as he turned around, strolling towards the exit of the training ground.

Sakura smiled fleetingly at the Uchiha's back before rolling her neck, "Yeah, we'll have fun for sure! But I really need to be getting home. Take care, guys!" she waved, following Sasuke away from the grounds.

Naruto sighed, leaning against a tree as he wearily rolled his neck. "I suppose you guys are heading back too, huh?" he asked, glancing at the two.

"Yes! Unfortunately I have training with Gai-sensei in three hours, so I must rest up!" Lee shouted, grinning. "We shall spar another time, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto rolled his eyes before waving the boy off, "Yeah, yeah. Just don't work yourself to death, Lee."

"Would not dream of it, Naruto-kun! Good night and good luck on your youthful mission!" Lee called, waving as he sped away from the training grounds. "Good night, Tenten!"

Tenten waved off her teammate, smiling as she turned back to Naruto. "I'd love to stay and train, rookie, but Lee and Gai's early morning training session only lasts two hours… and then they wake me up…" she groaned. "Five hours is not enough beauty sleep for a girl."

The blonde chuckled, yawning. "Hah. Alright, you go and get some sleep. I just have a few things to finish up here." Naruto said, smiling.

Tenten smiled and nodded, swaying slightly as she turned to leave. "You did well, Naruto. You're already off to a good start as a ninja, rookie." She lumbered forward after that, her eyes drooping as she left the training ground.

Naruto sighed and dropped to the ground, pulling out his message scroll. He blinked as he opened it, noticing that the circle on the center of the scroll was filled in, meaning that something was waiting to be unsealed.

Carefully he unsealed it, causing a small scroll to pop up into his hand.

After waiting a few seconds to make sure it didn't blow up or anything, he gently began unraveling the scroll, revealing the words that were written on it.

_Dear Naruto-kun,_

_Kiri has been lonely without you. It's too quiet all the time without our favorite knuckle-head running around causing mayhem; well, if you don't count Mizuri's constant complaining. I hope you're doing well in Konoha, because it doesn't look like your banishment will be lifted anytime soon. The daimyo has been mostly complacent with the punishment, though you should be glad that he is a kind man._

_In less depressing news, Mizukage-sama said that I'm an official contender for the Seven Swordsmen! Can you believe it? She said that all I'll have to do was prove my loyalty, my proficiency with a variety of bladed weaponry, and then I have to get my sword to accept me. Best of all, Hiramekarei still doesn't have a wielder! You know how much I've been wanting to use that sword._

_Anyways, I just wanted to give you an update on things going on here. Please reply at your earliest convenience!_

_Regards, _

_Chojuro._

_P.S. Mizuri says hi._

Naruto smiled as he read the letter, flashbacks and memories of him and Chojuro flooding to his frontal lobe. He was such a nice guy. Good to know he was finally getting what he deserved.

And Mizuri… he hadn't talked to her since his banishment had been decided… he wasn't sure how she felt about him.

They had been his team; him, Chojuro and Mizuri.

A soft rustle from behind him forced Naruto to move quickly. Rolling backwards, he quickly spun as he unsheathed his sword, pressing it against the neck of Hyuuga Neji.

Neji tensed, "Is this how you treat your fellow ninja, Uzumaki?"

Naruto's eyes widened, before quickly retracting the sword, placing it back in its sheath. "Don't try and sneak up on me." Naruto mumbled, before turning towards the exit gate.

"I believe you were looking for a spar earlier." Neji commented off-handedly, smirking. "Care to have a friendly match?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed, looking back. "Why? You've beaten me before, Hyuuga."

"Your team was holding you back in our fight. It's just you and me this time." Neji said, sliding into his jyuuken stance.

Naruto snorted, before turning around, staring at Neji. "My team wasn't holding me back. Without them, I'd have likely died in that fight."

"Perhaps. However, your teammates are both weaker than you. I'm well aware of what that's like." Neji said, sneering.

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. Nothing serious, though. First person to land a hit wins."

The Hyuuga grinned, his palms glowing slightly, "Better be careful, Uzumaki. It only takes one hit to kill, after all."

"I'm aware." Came Naruto's voice from behind the Hyuuga.

Neji snarled, his Byakugan coming on out of habit as he barely twisted away from Naruto's jab at his kidney. He backed off, skidding away as the first Naruto faded away. "That won't work a second time, Uzumaki."

"I know." Naruto stated, looking somewhat annoyed. Without another word he dashed forward. Ducking below Neji's palmthrust, he sent another quick jab at Neji's thigh, before rapidly rolling to the side, avoiding Neji's second thrust.

Flipping backwards, Naruto landed in a crouch, shooting forward in a burst of speed. Rolling to the side, he swept his leg out, trying to sweep Neji's legs out from under him. The Hyuuga jumped quickly, prompting Naruto to launch himself into the air, shooting straight towards his air-born opponent.

Neji snarled, his body twisting awkwardly to avoid Naruto's fist, causing the white-eyed Genin to groan in pain. Upon landing, Neji lashed out at the boy again, his attacks growing more and more fierce as the fight dragged on. Soon enough Naruto was on the defensive, the younger ninja sweating somewhat as the deadly strikes came closer and closer to hitting.

'_There it is._' Neji thought as he spotted the opening he had been waiting for. Side-stepping Naruto's counter-punch, he quickly jabbed his fingers forward, sealing the tenketsu in Naruto's wrist.

The blonde blinked, cussing loudly as the attack landed.

"Damn. That was a little faster than I ex-" Naruto's sentence was cut off as Neji slammed his palm into Naruto's chin, elicitng a grunt of pain from the blonde as he was lifted into the air somewhat.

The Hyuuga twirled on the spot, chakra glowing on his hands as he took a step forward, striking hard and fast with his chakra-enhanced thrust. Naruto gurgled as Neji's hand struck directly into his stomach, causing a drop of water to run down his chin.

Wait… water?

Neji cursed, his eyes just barely picking up the gleam of steel in the moonlight as Naruto's blade appeared from behind him, his clone disintegrating into a puddle.

The blade stopped, a mere centimeter from the skin of his back, directly over his left kidney.

"Now, now, Naruto." Came the voice of Hatake Kakashi, his hand casually holding the blade in place, much to the chagrin of his blonde student. "You could get in real trouble for that."

"I'm executing a traitor." Naruto growled, putting more force on the blade as he glared at the Hyuuga. "Twice now he's tried to kill me."

Kakashi glanced at him, before giving the blonde a quick flick to the forehead, making him stumble backwards from the force. "That's not up to you to decide, Naruto. First and foremost, these things need to be reported to the Hokage. The execution of a leaf ninja is a very serious matter."

The Jounin glanced at Neji, who was staring at Naruto with his usual sense of superiority. "And you, Hyuuga. I will be reporting this to the Hokage. If I see another attempt made on my students life, you can kiss your ninja career good bye."

Neji merely huffed in response, turning as he strutted from the training ground.

Kakashi gave the Hyuuga one last fleeting glance before turning to his student. "Are you okay, Naruto? Looked like he got a couple good hits on you."

The blonde snorted, rubbing his chin as he glanced at his arm. The area where Neji had closed off his tenketsu was swollen, though the swelling was already going away. "I'm fine. Nothing that'll hamper me tomorrow, anyways."

Kakashi nodded, giving the blonde a pat on the back. "Be careful around him, Naruto. He's a tough cookie. Don't give him an excuse to hate you."

Naruto yawned, stretching a little. "Yeah, yeah. I don't pick the fights, sensei. I just finish them."

Without waiting for a response, Naruto turned on a dime, heading towards his apartment. "Good night, Kakashi-sensei. Don't be late tomorrow."

Kakashi just sighed, rubbing the back of his head. This was turning into something way more complicated than he had signed up for.

* * *

><p>Okay. So, I don't really have an excuse for having this chapter out this late, so I won't bullshit you. I just didn't get around to it. Plus I've been brainstorming a little, as well as reading other stories on the site. It usually helps for inspiration.<p>

Anyways, read and review as always.


End file.
